


Chihiro's Mind

by CharlotCutios



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Character Interpretation, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Perspective, Angst, Canon Rewrite, Chihiro Fujisaki Protagonist, Comedy, Danganronpa 1 Protagonist Switch, Danganronpa 1 Rewrite, Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc Rewrite, F/M, Internal Monologue, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), POV First Person, Rewrite, Tragedy/Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-08 23:56:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 33,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13469319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotCutios/pseuds/CharlotCutios
Summary: Delve into the mind of the Ultimate Programmer of Hope's Peak as what he hoped to be a new life ends up becoming a living hell. What could be going on beyond that timid, bunny-like exterior? How will he respond to such a situation?To celebrate the one year anniversary of publishing the fan-fiction here, I invite everyone interested to join theChihiro's Mind Discord Server. There's apples and updates on the fan-fiction for everyone!





	1. Prologue: Leviathan's Jaws

 

_6:11. Geez, I'm running early. Well, that was the plan. Get to school early and unpack before anyone else enters the building. I had to skip breakfast at the airport for this..._

  
  


I was standing on a somewhat filled subway train, accompanied by the rumbling of its wheels turning. One delicate, dainty hand of mine held onto a passenger pole, while the other kept a grip on my luggage, which left me slightly vulnerable to the movements of the vehicle. After making a swallowing motion in my mouth to try clear the stuffed feeling my ears had since my flight, my hazel eyes shifted away from the digital clock I was looking at.

  
  


The intercom announced in a monotone voice, “Next stop is: Hope's Peak Academy. Next stop is: Hope's Peak Academy.”

  
  


_I can't believe the school gets its own stop. Well, Hope's Peak really is a major part of the city and the country at large. There must be lots of government subsidies going to that school._

  
  


The vehicle finally came to a screeching halt, as I looked on to the crowd of commuters awaiting the train.

  
  


_I'm not seeing any Hope's Peak students in the crowd, just early bird commuters. Then again, I guess everyone is either sleeping or going through their morning routine. I can't believe I skipped breakfast for this. Well, my dad was adamant about me coming here, and this is my only chance after everything that has happened._

  
  


“ _I know you might have had a hard time in your previous schools, my son. And, I know that you fear that it might get even worse now. But, Hope's Peak Academy is a school for the extraordinary. There is no 'normal' there. You were chosen because you are extraordinary, in the good way. I don't care what your peers thought of your supposed weakness or how you're different. You're strong in mind, an exceptional programmer. You have done things that not even I or the best people of the field could've done at less than half the age of myself. Keep that in mind, my son.”_

  
  


_ That was what my father, a man much like me in terms of height, petite frame, effeminate face, and even hair color, said to me with a gentle smile to encourage me before I left for Hope's Peak.  _ _ Those were the words of a divorced man. A man, only two inches taller than me, who was betrayed most despicably. _

  
  


My breathing grew slightly faster as I tightened my hand around the handle of my suitcase.

  
  


_He was utterly destroyed! He tried to mold himself into someone who he was clearly not! Trying to fulfill the standards she demanded out of him. The very same standards she tried to enforce on me!_

  
  


My grip only tightened around the handle, squeezing it as hard as I could.

  
  


_But, you can't, Chihiro. You can't be angry. You can't do anything to upset others. You can't hurt anyone. It's wrong to lash like this. To be a toxic burden on others. You swore to avoid committing violence to another human being._

  
  


The doors of the subway tram opened, while all of my tension flowed out of my body. I exhaled a long winded breath from my lungs, while my frail body only grew more fatigued from the bout of depression I went through.

  
  


“The perfect distraction,” I muttered before leaving the vehicle with little hassle, holding my head down in defeat.

  
  


_Thank goodness I came early. Imagine how bad it'll be if I came here when all the commuters are on board._

  
  


Dragging my luggage with me, I went through the motions of exiting the subway station, passing through the checkpoint and glancing at the clock to keep track of the time.

  
  


_6:18. Still early._

  
  


I stood on the escalator leading out of the subway station, following the bilingual sign pointing me towards Hope's Peak. The exit was rather small in size.

  
  


_Then again, there really aren't that many students at Hope's Peak. Surprised the school is as big as it is, considering the low student population. Well, I don't mind. A less crowded school is the best school for me._

  
  


My emergence from the subway revealed the contrast between my hope for a better future and the past that I sought to abandon was sharpened with the sky above me. One half of it was red and orange from the rising sun, which Hope's Peak Academy conveniently was blocking and stood in place of. The rays from the bright late summer sun shined around the campus building, making it look like a literal beacon of hope. Behind me was the violet-blue sky of the disappearing night.

  
  


All that stood between me and the school was an open steel bar gate and the school courtyard. My head simply turned up as I stared up at the goliath of a building which stood before me. It was already huge to a normal person, but, for a minuscule dwarf like me, Hope's Peak was truly massive and all encompassing. And, this made me tremble with fear.

  
  


“It's....It's huge,” I said to myself as I simply stood there.

  
  


_This is the first time I'll be going to an actual school since I barely finished require first half of my secondary education. Is it going to be like before? Will they bully me there?_

  
  


Memories of all the bullying I persevered through flashed in my head, causing me to wince and shiver from the past despair which clashed with the hopes I had for my future in the school.

  
  


_I can't....I can't go in there. I'm...too weak to survive school. I'm too weak to face the real world._

  
  


My father's words then echoed in my head, giving me a second wind against my self doubt. I looked right at the school again, taking a deep breath.

  
  


_Thankfully, my father was open-minded enough to allow me to escape from the hell that he suffered. Perhaps, he wanted to spare me from the same fate that befell him. Or, it could be that he had the aspiration to transform himself the way I did when I left the world of public schooling. Whatever the reason maybe, he allowed me to do something that more conservatively-minded parents would have probably disown a child over._

  
  


I sighed softly as I hesitantly made my way through the courtyard, flanked by an assortment of trees and bushes, towards the colossal building. My slender arms, which had not a single muscle of note on them, were behind my back, both hands dragging the luggage by the handle with me.

  
  


_ Hope's Peak, you peculiar institution. Who would have known that some ultrameritocratic school from the Meiji period would end up becoming a refuge for the eccentric, talented misfits of Japan. I guess it might be the one place where I fit in. Especially since no one here would know the truth of who I am. The lifetime of  _ _guaranteed_ _ success is a bonus, though I guess it is too late to try to impress my mother with that... _

  
  


I walked past the open bar gate and stopped to take one more glance at the school. The school itself hardly resembled anything that would come out of that period in architecture. One half, shorter but more expansive, was made of brick and looked like it would date from the late 20th century, while the taller glass half soared with what seemed to be a giant greenhouse among other glass spires. The elite boarding school's logo was plastered right on the top of the older half of the school, making it nearly impossible to miss. 

  
  


_That'll be a useful feature if I end up being lost in the city._

  
  


A small smile grew on my face, as I remembered the other thing that gave me solace besides my dad's words of encouragement. The slight wind blowing on both my auburn, short hair and brown pleated skirt.

  
  


_The thread last night was fun. There's apparently going to be fifteen Ultimates and one lucky student. The former being considered the best in their field nation-wide. Though, the fields the academy thought were worthy of being considered really had my head scratching._

  
  


_Hifumi, the Ultimate Doujin Artist, was being his usual self, posting his ecchi-laced doujins all over along with his 2channel and Futaba memes. Of course, let's just say that he might have bitten more than he chewed with that. But really, I'm more of a 4chan person myself. I find the Western internet to be a lot more interesting._

  
  


_The same was true of all the Sayakers who swarmed the thread to congratulate their precious Ultimate Pop Idol, though I don't know if Sayaka herself was watching the thread. Honestly, I don't really like her music at all. Though, I shouldn't really hate the artist for her work, especially if she probably just sang the music management provided her. Doesn't really change my opinion of her fans. Sayakers were obnoxious as hell during junior high, and I can't go anywhere without hearing her music. Well, when the Sayakers found out what '3DPD' means, their reaction was priceless._

  
  


I couldn't help but snicker a little.

  
  


_That is the beauty of the internet. You can get away with stuff that would ruin you in real life. I feel completely free to be whoever and whatever I want to be. No fear of rejection, since I could just make another account, another persona. It is liberating._

  
  


I shook my head to snap out of that train of thought.

  
  


_ Nevermind that. Let's talk about the real shocker. Mondo Oowada. He is the 'Ultimate  _ _Motorcyclist_ _ ', though everyone knows his true talent is in leading the notorious biker gang, The Crazy Diamonds. I guess it really wasn't a shocker after I read up the previous year listing and saw Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu as the Ultimate Yakuza. Not to offend either of them or be  _ _close minded_ _ , but it sounds really dangerous to be having students like them in the campus. I hope they don't bully me or, even worse, harm me. _

  
  


_Well, I heard rumors that Fuyuhiko is actually only 5'1” and pictures of him showed that he has a bit of a baby-face. If someone as short as he can strike fear in the hearts of others, maybe my situation isn't really that hopeless? Perhaps, I can at least get some respect from others._

  
  


I then sighed and held my head down.

  
  


_The guy is the heir to a powerful Yakuza clan, and he earned this respect through terrorizing those around him with the power that such a title gives. I'm not a heir to anything except for my father's programming profession. I don't even have that luxury. And look at me, I'm even shorter than him and weaker too._

  
  


My fists clenched as I took a long, deep breath to calm myself from the anxiety my insecurities had created.

  
  


_How about Toko Fukawa, the somewhat famous author of young adult and romance novels. Well, I guess she really did have a huge influence on my life with her most famous, and best-selling, work: 'So Lingers the Ocean'._

  
  


_Was it that I was entranced by the romance between a sparkling fisherman and a bland, blank-slate girl who was meant to be the reader or, perhaps, the author?_

  
  


_Nah! It just inspired me to wear fisherman outfits to get some acceptance as a guy in junior high. After everyone laughed at me for my yellow coat and wellington boots, I took to the next best thing: sailor peacoats and hats. I used to go out dressed like those cool Russian sailors from the 1910s. Like from the Soviet propaganda. I even bought a C96 pistol replica to complete the image. It was fun to play pretend in my room with Mr. Hops._

  
  


_ Speaking of cool things, there was the gothic lolita gambler who goes by the name 'Celestia Ludenberg'. I find it kind of silly, considering she is Japanese, but apparently she has a fearsome  _ _reputation_ _ behind her, including the title 'Queen of Liars'. She travels all over Europe throughout her exploits, though she apparently settled herself in  _ _Novoselic's_ _ royal court. It's some obscure Balkan country where the German-speaking nobility still hasn't relinquished power. Honestly, it's wonder how this remnant of the Hapsburg empire hasn't collapsed or been conquered yet, but I guess it's a situation like Lichtenstein's. _

  
  


_ Anyways, Hope's Peak is going to have some athletes. I read all sorts of rumors about Sakura Ogami or the 'Ogre'. No one knows much about the  _ _mysterious_ _ martial artist besides that she is incredibly powerful and muscular. Some called her appearance monstrous, but I wonder if this is some gender-reversed version of what I'm going through. I mean, I guess at least Sakura is respected enough to be feared and not be  _ _persecuted_ _ by everyone else what she is. She is strong enough to tell the truth about herself, while I'm too weak to even reveal to the world who I really am. _

  
  


_There's also Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Player. But, nothing really stood out about him besides the strange name and his hair being dyed orange in that photo. It wouldn't even stand out in a country where everyone and their mother is applying the dye if it weren't for the fact that he had such a conservative cut and was a baseball player._

  
  


I then bit my lips at the last person who I bothered to do research on.

  
  


_ Aoi Asahina...The Ultimate Swimmer, though swimming is just the sport she excelled at the most. She joined six teams! Six teams! And, broke the record in every swimming contest she participated in! I really did a lot of 'research' on her. It started with one  _ _innocuous_ _ picture, before I started Google searching images of her. They were all fairly innocent,  _ _depicting_ _ the busty, dark-skinned girl wearing her swimming uniform while engaging in her best sport. I just had to measure her... 'athletic worth' and...look at her plentiful 'assets'. _

  
  


My pale cheeks blushed a deep red. I bit my delicate lips, as my slender legs, wearing brown tall socks, weakened and shifted slightly.

  
  


Thoughts about her flooded my head. In my fantasies, the tan-skinned woman with a dark brown ponytail emerged from the pool and held onto my thin legs with her hands, leaning herself against me. A gentle sigh emerged from me as I imagined trembling at her forward advance towards me. Those full lips being licked by her tongue as they closed in towards mine, while her large bosom, straining against her leotard, pressed against me. All before she gave a loving kiss onto my delicate lips, while her wet, glistening arms wrapped around me for a gentle yet firm hug. I felt acceptance and love for what I am from her, while my hands reached out, to both grab onto the door handle and grab onto the imaginary pair of breasts before me.

  
  


_Is it okay to be weak while she was strong?_

  
  


I shook my head with disapproval towards myself.

  
  


_It isn't! I mean, all of this isn't! I don't even know her. She probably would be utterly disgusted if she hears of my affection for her. Not even affection. This is just lust. Aoi would just see me as a freak if she knew of my secret. Even if she didn't and just so happened to be a lesbian, it would be little better for me. Society will still flash the alarm, and I'll become a target again. Invalidating the initial reason why I'm doing all of this!_

  
  


_There couldn't be any sort of woman who would be interested in me regardless, especially since I was weak. The athlete probably would reject me on the spot for my height and is most probably straight. She'd probably rather be with a strong, traditional male. My weakness has damned me to this fate. The only sorts of people who seem interested in someone like me seem to be guys like Hifumi on imageboards. Lusting after people of my 'kind' that they label as 'traps'._

  
  


_Does that mean I have to be gay?_

  
  


I felt every fiber of my excitement leave my body, leaving me with a feeling of discomfort.

  
  


_ I never  _ _was into guys_ _. My body  _ _just wouldn’t_ _ respond to or show interest for that of a male or even a female who lacked curvaceous proportions or 'substantial assets'. _

  
  


I looked down as I can feel my face flare up even more with embarrassment at the latter half of my thoughts.

  
  


_Am I a freak? A creepy pervert? What will they think of me?_

  
  


I began to shiver, hugging myself with my scrawny arms.

  
  


Suddenly, my father's voice stopped my bout of anxiety. It was a repeat of what he told me before. “Hope's Peak Academy is a school for the extraordinary. There is no 'normal' there,” I recited to myself as my mind finally emerged from its stupor, reality crashing back in on me.

  
  


I was standing still in front of the school's door, quickly taking out my PDA to check the time.

  
  


_6:34. Was I really standing here staring into the void for about five minutes?_

  
  


My eyes scanned my vicinity for the presence of anyone else.

  
  


_Did I block the way for anyone else?_

  
  


A man wearing a black suit and a burgundy tie, who was exactly a foot taller than me, approached me. He looked quite normal for an older Japanese man who held a position of prominence, though his short black hair is somewhat messier than one would expect from an older man who would wear a black suit in his daily activities. However, the truly odd feature of the man was his lavender eyes.

  
  


_What is with the lavender eyes? I mean, colored contact lenses have grown popular recently, but I never saw a conservatively dressed older man wearing one. And, I'm not exactly too ready to throw away all I know about the genetic diversity of human eye color. So, aside from a freak mutation, he's probably trying to make his life more interesting. I mean, things do get a little soul-crushing in Japanese workplaces. My dad experienced that first hand._

  
  


The older man had a look of genuine concern as he asked me, “Are you okay? You were standing still with your hand on the door handle.”

  
  


I felt embarrassment overwhelming me as I answered with a stutter, “O-oh, I'm fine, I was thinking about things. Though, I'm really, really s-sorry for blocking your path. I shouldn't block the path of others.”

  
  


He shook his head and responded, “Don't be hard on yourself, Chihiro. You didn't mean to get in the way, and I'm sure anyone in my place would be more concerned for you than irritated.”

  
  


My eyes widened with shock as I heard him call me by my name. “H-how did you know my name? You work here?” I asked frantically.

  
  


_This is awkward..._

  
  


“Yes, and I am the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Due to the small size of the student population, I have taken preference to remembering the names of the students who currently attend the school,” he explained with an oddly comforting smile on his face, “And, I apologize for my informality. A letter from your father informed me of your issue, and I didn't want to address you in the wrong way.”

  
  


_The headmaster?! And, he knows?! I guess my father informed the school about it. I hope no issues come from that._

  
  


Before I could say another word, the headmaster continued, “Don't fear being mistreated or bullied within our campus's walls. Hope's Peak will treat all of its students equally, no matter their peculiarities, and has a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying of any sort. Our staff will be considerate of your issue as well as your privacy and make sure that you don't end up in any sort of situation with the other students.”

  
  


_That felt a little forced. A bit too friendly. Am I really making the school bend and morph to my eccentric needs? Being a burden to it?_

  
  


“Oh and, do not think that you are a special case or causing any sort of trouble for the school to accommodate you. In fact, most of the students in your class, and the entire school even, have their own peculiarities. Our approach to education here is a lot more liberal and individualized than is usual in the educational system,” he assured me, as an awkward smile grew on my feminine, gentle mind.

  
  


Well, that was to be expected from an elite school. “Oh, I see,” I said plainly, avoiding any opportunity to say anything awkward or silly to the headmaster.

  
  


“I hope to see the full potential of your talents realized here, Chihiro,” the older man noted as he opened the door and entered the school.

  
  


My headmaster disappeared from my view as he walked through the main hall and turned to his left upon passing the double doors that lead to the rest of the school. I also noticed, from a brief glimpse, the door to the school store straight ahead of the main hall before the double doors close.

  
  


_He is right and so was my father. There was only one way forward. And, if I do nothing about my situation, then nothing will change._

  
  


I took a deep breath, looking up at the school with a sense of determination that I usually lack.

  
  


_There was hope here. Hope to escape my past and to create a new and better future for myself. It was a tabula rasa upon which I can write my own story. My goal is not only to succeed in earning a living but, ultimately, to live a life where I can be happy with myself._

  
  


I sighed before opening the door. Thankfully, it was long before the other students were to arrive. I felt the somewhat cooler air of the school engulf over my slender frame; which made me glad to be wearing a dark green jacket atop my white, peter-pan collared shirt.

  
  


_The school's air conditioning seems to be set up with the coming summer heat in mind._

  
  


My thoughts then turned to myself.

  
  


_I am Chihiro Fujisaki: the son of a programmer, the Ultimate Programmer of Hope's Peak Academy, and, oddly enough, a crossdresser._

  
  


And, the first thing that I did upon making my first step into campus was...faint.

  
  


A spiral of distortion quickly consumed my entire vision as I was frozen in place. Not a single muscle moved on my lithe body, while the distortion made nothing discernible to my large, innocent eyes. Every stimuli, on every sense that I had, disappeared as it felt like I was being teleported into a void. My head ached and throbbed with disorientation as the spiraling distortion made my vision nothing more than a jumbled mess.

  
  


I blacked out suddenly, strangely lacking even the ability to even utter any sort of sound to accompany my bodily discomfort.

  
  


_ W-what is happening to me?! _

  
  


It was as if I magically disappeared from existence.

  
  


Little did I know that it wasn't hope that I was marching eagerly towards but rather through the jaws of Leviathan to Hell.

 


	2. CLASSIFIED Theater 1: Blood Herrings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A smelly, tasty distraction from that serious story stuff presented by yours truly. Have some kippered herring!

“Huh? You were expecting the next part of Chihiro's adventure? To finally get into some of that sweet, juicy drama you were expecting?” a gratingly cheerful voice asked from a theater stage shrouded by red curtains.

 

“Ahahaha! You're fucking wrong, kiddo!” it laughed as the curtains unfurled, revealing an empty stage.

 

“Instead, I'm going to talk to my very eager audience about the greatest meal in all of existence: red herrings,” the detached voice continued as a pile of kippered herrings was dumped onto the floor of the stage, making a loud wet plop.

 

“Red herrings are delicious and nutritious meal, though they aren't actually a type of fish. If only we actually had actual red herrings swimming about,” it explained.

 

“Upupupupu, I'm already getting distracted. Red herrings have a lovely strong smell to them which always distracts from the main point. The main point is overrated next to the delicious taste of kippered herrings anyways.”

 

“And, there's plenty of red herrings here for everyone to enjoy. Chihiro brought us a huge banquet of them with those silly inner thoughts of his. Upupupupupu,” the voice giggled.

 

“And, I provided the dessert. The dessert being more red herrings! Red herrings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I will not even consider reading a story unless I know that there is a red herring in it.”

 

“Puhuhuhu. But, knowing the red herring would ruin the surprise, spoiling the twist. And, spoilers are completely terrible! Only bloodhounds are worse. Thankfully, red herrings distract bloodhounds incredibly well,” it rambled as cardboard cutouts of bloodhounds approached the pile of kipper.

 

“Upupupupupu, this is so much fun! Why even keep on going with the story? Why not just end it here and revel in the glory that is the red herring and its mighty blue-balling powers? Replace that boring Chihiro-crap with some delicious, high-impact red herring action from yours truly? Hah, hah! I'm feeling so hot and bothered just thinking about it. Haaaaah!” the voice ranted as it grew strangely aroused near the end, almost panting.

 

“After all, wherever the great Leviathan swims, a school of mythical red herrings are sure to be following it. Ahahaha!”

 

Then, the curtains finally closed on the now smelly stage, ending the disembodied voice's surreal show.

 


	3. Prologue: A Rude Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: I apologize for the long delay in creating this chapter. It was a combination of real-life events, a lack of confidence in my writing and story-craft, as well as having to rethink large portions of the upcoming plot. However, the first draft of the third chapter is already partially done, and I do have another surprise in store, to compensate for the lack of content. I also apologize for the shortness of the chapter. It was more due to the cut-off point than anything else. Hopefully, I can get more done now that the ball is rolling.
> 
> Regardless, I appreciate comments as to how I'm doing with my writing, both positive as well as constructive criticism.

 

There was nothing. No sight, scent, sound, taste, or feeling was experienced. Absolutely none of my senses were working. It was a pitch-black void where there was nothing. In fact, could it even be considered a pitch-bitch void? Pitch-black, after all, would imply there were colors and thus sight. This wasn't pitch-black. This was a pure void of nothingness, as if I disappeared from reality.

 

Breaking the emptiness of the void, a distinct, eldritch, and yet eerily familiar voice emerged to speak to me. It wasn't something that I can hear but rather was a thought. “It seems that you have fallen in your march forward. Defeated at a most pivotal moment. This is truly a tragedy of the worst sort, with your chance of victory being desperately low,” he told me, rubbing the salt of defeat on my wound.

 

“Did you really march towards a hopeful future, or have you damned yourself to a fate of despair?” the voice asked me before answering the question for me, “The only way to answer that question is to wake up from your slumber. Wake up, Chihiro Fujisaki. Wake up and learn the truth that shall set you free.”

 

As the voice disappeared, my lack of sensation quickly faded away, giving me back my connection with reality. My sense of touch was the first to return. Immediately, I felt my face resting upon something like a desk.

 

_What...What the hell just happened?_

 

Whatever it was, a slight headache ached on my forehead, while I groaned, despite not being able to hear anything.

 

_Did I sleep on my computer again? I mean, it feels like it. Lots of buttons...I can feel something like a swivel chair, but it doesn't really feel like MY swivel chair._

 

Then, the sense of smell and taste came in at the same time, as the two senses were closely linked. What was undoubtedly an office or some technical room, from the unique feeling of the swivel office chairs and the buttoned apparatus, smelled of dust. The air was stuffy, and my mouth had the characteristic bad taste one gets during an unsatisfactory nap.

 

My hearing soon followed in this march of the senses. However, this sense contributed least to understanding what is going on, as the room was completely silent. The only sound that could be heard was that of the air-conditioner running, until I made a low, soft groan from the headache, “Uffff... The headache, the pain, my head... Did I...faint?”

 

Finally, one of the, if not the most important, senses made a triumphant return: my sense of sight. My caramel eyes suddenly opened, while my entire petite form jerked as the full shock of what had just transpired hit me.

 

“What the hell?!” I cried out as I saw a deskful of audio-video equipment, including a DVD and VHS player, as well as a brochure which seemed to have been made by an amatuer.

 

_The fuck?_

 

Whilst the cover had the logo of Hope's Peak on it, it was vandalized by crayon writing, of all things.

 

_Is this some sort of prank made by an elementary school child?! Seriously, what in the actual fuck?! And that voice? Who was that? Was that the person who brought me here? What is this?!_

 

Before I could react to anything that I saw, I immediately spasmed out of my resting position at very next moment, rearing my head up from the desk. The desk I was using was paired with another, which shared the very same equipment. The room was quite expansive, having three columns of the pairs of desks. I breathed frantically as I recovered from my fainting, my eyes wide open and pupils contracting slightly. “G-gah, w-what is this?!” I yelled to myself.

 

_What is going on with my body?!_

 

The room grew clearer as my eyes raced and took in my surroundings in greater detail. Two large speakers flanked a projector screen, with each one having another speaker on their closest side to me. Meanwhile, I finally realized that I was on the left desk of the backmost pair in the center column. It was then I truly had full awareness of the size of the room, which was somewhat larger than the average classroom.

 

“Thank goodness I'm alone,” I muttered to myself, finally relaxing a bit, “Is this just me getting really stressed out and anxious? Skipping on breakfast? Maybe the headmaster just found me unconscious and took me in. Though, the voice wasn't his. I definitely know that much.”

 

I continued to think aloud, “And, why the AV room? I mean, I doubt the school would be incompetent to point of throwing unconscious students in the AV ROOM of all places, instead of say, you know, the nurse's office!”

 

I shook my head and sighed before noting to myself, “I should calm down. It's probably just something else.”

 

My attention then returned to the brochure which laid atop the deskful of audio-video equipment in front of me. As my sight had become clearer, the words written in crayon became clear. Each word occupied one line, as the font was quite large. The cover read, with the first four lines being a lightish blue and the last three being red, 'Congrats on getting into Hope's Peak Academy.'

 

“Perhaps, the headmaster brought his kid to work today, and the child decided to write a welcoming brochure for the poor student who fainted on the doorstep for the academy? Or, perhaps it was one of those 'Lil Ultimates' from the recently created Primary School Division? It might even be the work of some sort of Ultimate Prankster. Do they have an Ultimate Prankster here? I mean...they have an Ultimate Yakuza here. I swear if they have an Ultimate Bully,” I rambled to myself before clenching my fists.

 

I sighed, “I'm really am being a huge, irritable jerk today. It's just...I'm tired of things always going the wrong way for me, and I expect the school to do something for me if I get injured or faint.”

 

After holding my head down momentarily in shame, I reached out with my dainty, little hands to open the bi-fold brochure, revealing the message inside. On the left panel of the brochure, 'Hey there new kid!' was written in orange-red, while the right panel had a poorly drawn and colored rendition of the Hope's Peak campus. Beneath both, the handwriting was done with a black crayon, 'The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world'.

 

“No period at the end of the second sentence?” I remarked to myself.

 

“Way to be a Grammar Nazi to elementary school kids, Chihiro. In fact, your handwriting is just as abysmal as theirs,” I snarked to myself before thinking aloud, “But still, the school will be my entire world? What the hell is this? I mean, I guess it is the start of the new semester, and, since this is a boarding school, Hope's Peak would, in a sense, become my life.”

 

I then started to tap my index finger on the desk. “But, I'm starting to get the signs that this might be more literal than it seems to be. Everything just feels...surreal and dreamlike here. Have I been dreaming since I went into the rabbit hole that is this school?”

 

_I wish the rabbit hole had actual rabbits inside._

 

“There's no way I could have been kidnapped or locked in the school by someone who makes brochures like this. I mean, say a kid decided to prank me. He would be sent to the office, and I would be in the nurse's office. Or, maybe the school hasn't found out yet? I guess that could be true...” I pondered while resting my hand on my rather small chin.

 

“I mean, I knew this school had a reputation for strange stuff happening coming in, with the students being eccentric, but this is really, really weird,” I said before raising my head slightly upwards, as the shock of my awakening wore off.

 

First, I saw what seemed to be some monitor in the left wall of the room, in between the inner left-speaker and the outer left-speaker. “Is this some sort of intercom?” I asked to myself.  
  
Then, to my right, I quickly caught sight of some sort of security camera. Unlike most such cameras, it was large, bulky, and hardly subtle in its placement. The camera stuck out from the ceiling, hanging over some of the desks on the right column. The strangeness of the design perked my curiosity, as I had a slight interest in cameras. It must have been something antiquated, as modern security cameras would not be this large and bulky. “Monocam?” I read aloud.

 

_I never heard of such a brand. And, it seems kind of antiquated and bulky to be a security camera. Then again, I'm not the Ultimate Photographer, which I think is a taken title actually. It could be some obscure brand._

 

_Actually wait, don't these cameras look like the sort of cameras used in television sets? That would explain their bulkiness. Footage quality takes precedence over stealth when it comes to professional film cameras. Perhaps, that camera was never a security camera, and it was just part of the room's equipment._

 

_Maybe it was used for morning school announcements, though the positioning of the camera was less than optimal. There is also no green screen nearby that could be used for cheesy special effects, and they actually used a separate room in my old school, even though the budget there was significantly less._

 

“I always hated those cringey school announcements,” I sighed softly, rubbing my head a little bit in a vain attempt to sooth my slight headache.

 

_I guess this is the old building, and they couldn't just build an entirely new studio room. Perhaps, they just used the camera for a wide panning shot of the room to give credit to any students who worked on the announcement. What kind of Ultimates would work on them actually? Actually, I probably would be the student who did the camera work and audio-video editing for the school, at least when the students currently working on them graduate._

 

Finally, I rose myself from my swivel seat, standing up on my two little feet. It was a bit difficult at first, as there was still a sense of drowsiness in me. After balancing myself on my two feet, I made my first steps ever since my passing out, now facing away from the projector screen. It was then that I saw a traditional clock, hung on the back wall above a normal-sized yellow door.

 

_Traditional clocks? I thought they would have converted to digital, especially for a prestigious school that gets this much government support._

 

“Wait second, eight AM?! It must have been around two hours since I came in here!” I noted, my eyes widening.

 

“I m-mean, I guess it could have been worse, since I fainted. That doesn't explain how and why though...And, who,” I explained to myself.

 

_I'm not hearing any students or staff. I understand this school has low student population for its size, but I would have heard something, right? I mean, there should be staff members all over me now. I mean, Ultimates aren't exactly disposable lemmings. You picked out sixteen people nationwide to join your elite academy. Isn't that the point of small class sizes, so that staff can pay attention to individual students more?_

 

“Wait, is it past the meeting time?” I asked myself as my mind strained to remember the exact time.

 

“Crap, I forgot!” I realized before blinking, “Wait, shouldn't there be students here working on the morning announcements? And, staff looking for me?”

 

_I guess there isn't any during the first day..._

 

“Well, the only way to find out is to return to the main hall. Perhaps, I'll find someone in the staff who can get me out of this mess,” I noted to myself.

 

So, I opened the the yellow door, revealing a truly strange hallway. It must have been in the older parts of the building, as there were no windows in the hallway and the lighting was very dim. This dim lighting was, of all things, a ghostly green.

 

“Green lighting? Really?” I muttered, “H-honestly if it wasn't eight AM, I would be terrified that Hope's Peak pulled a Tartarus on me.”

 

_Seriously, I really need to stop playing Persona too much. Still, an eerie high school with green lighting? I really hope there's going to be no chain rattling._

 

Looking to my right, the lighting changes from green to magenta, which oddly calmed me down.

 

“And, it transitions to a magenta? What is this? A night club? Well, that eliminates the Tartarus theory entirely,” I said before wondering, “Why would the school make the halls so dark? I mean, yesh, I'm already getting the shivers. And, why the strange color palate? Is this some sort of modern architecture project? We have an eccentric Ultimate Architect? I mean, it sounds really dumb, but it'd be better than the alternative...”

 

“Calm down, Chihiro. You haven't entered the Twilight Zone. It's probably just...something else,” I reassured myself as I rubbed my arms.

 

“Maybe if I pinch myself, then I will wake up in the nurse office. Yes, it definitely is just a dream.” I said before hesitantly pinching myself on one of my arms.

 

I yelped in pain, “Owww! Okay, definitely real!”

 

I bit on my lips, wrapping my hand around the arm I pinched myself on. “This...this has to be impossible. I didn't just walk into some morphed dimension. I might have suffered from a plethora of personal issues, but I am definitely not a schizophrenic!” I said.

 

I looked to my left and right before noting, “No one noticed, if there's anyone here. And, I'm not hearing any voices or having delusions. I mean, if I'm going to be schizophrenic, I would probably have some grand delusion that'd make me feel like the fate of the world rests on my hands. I guess this could all mean that I think I'm...an anime protagonist? I mean, I might look like one if I-”

 

_Maybe I shouldn't say any of that out loud, people can hear me._

 

“No, I'm too lucid...” I said before noticing the sign for the school store.

 

“Oh, it's the same school store from earlier. Okay, at least, this kind of looks like the Hope's Peak that I saw before fainting,” I remarked.

 

I then widened eyes as a smile grew on my face, “Wait, that means the main entrance is literally just around the corner! I can get out of here!”

 

“I m-mean...is there anyone around here to stop me?” I asked myself, gulping on my throat, “I hope I don't get jumped or something.”

 

I then started to walk cautiously through the hallway, making sure that my little feet made as little noise as possible.

 

_I mean, this probably isn't a hostage situation. I guess a hare-brained elementary school kid could be behind all this, but they'd be caught immediately. Maybe they're busy dealing with that?_

 

_Speaking of which, I think there is an Ultimate Public Morals Officer in my class. I read that he's the grandson of a prime minister who fell from power due to some sort of scandal. Funnily enough, the guy is named after one. Kuroda Kiyotaka, the second one. Considering he's probably, in practical terms, a hall monitor, it'd be weirdly poetic if he were to spare me punishment for breaking the rules._

 

_Anyways, I think he would be pretty useful now. I mean, I never thought I'd say this, but I think we need hall monitors for this. I hope this is the last time I have that thought in my mind._

 

As I closed in towards the entrance hall, the center of the room between the school store and the aforementioned entrance hall had benches arranged in a square formation, with arches atop them.

 

_Those benches are pretty low. I would if anyone significantly taller than me can relax on them..._

 

I looked at the double doors which led to the entrance hall.

 

_They even have a convenient exit sign on top of them. So, I just walk out of here? I mean, should I? Isn't it bad to skip out on class? Truancy definitely would lead to me getting suspended, and I don't really want to get into a confrontation with the school staff._

 

_Then again, they were supposed to take me to the nurse's office. Not the AV-room. And, there's no staff or hall monitors...I think I might just go out and get myself breakfast and a drink. I wonder if they have bubble tea cafes or places that sell the stuff around here. I really could use one._

 

I approached the double doors, trying to look through the glass.

 

_I can't see through the glass._

 

I then paused for a moment, standing in front of the door.

 

_Is this a good idea? Should I really walk into the entrance hall? I mean, there could be anything beyond that door._

 

I gulped on my throat, taking a deep breath.

 

_It's okay. Maybe I should just peek inside a little?_

 

_Wait, no. I'm going to attract attention just by opening the door!_

 

I actually began to shiver anxiously. My hands held onto the right handle, feeling the chilly steel against my palm. My dry mouth, meanwhile, was desperate to be refreshed by a nice, cold beverage and the hearty breakfast that I missed in order to arrive at the school so early.

 

_What am I going to do? I can't do this! I'm too scared...I'm just a huge coward..._

 

_It doesn't matter! Everywhere in this school is a risk according to this logic. Staying here is just as scary and exploring the school is just as risky. So, just open that damn door and get out to eat some breakfast!_

 

With a second wind of energy, I gripped harder on the handle with both of my hands and shifted my body weight forward, pushing the door open.

 

_Please don't have something bad on the other side._


	4. Prologue: Welcome to the Welcoming Committee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This is a redone version of the chapter, since I found the original to be not good enough.)

 

The sight I witnessed next both completely amazed and shocked me. What was once the entrance door to Hope's Peak was replaced by a large, advanced vault door, complete with what seems to be an electronic security system. Two turrets flanked the sealed entrance, each one having four guns on them as well as what seemed to be their own cameras for both surveillance and targeting.

  
  


_ Wait, two turrets... _

  
  


They actually armed their newly built vault door with turrets! And, these weren't simply ordinary machine guns. They were chainguns! And, each turret had four of them!

  
  


_Four! Four fucking chainguns!_

  
  


_This is overkill. What happened? The school selected an Ultimate Soldier? I mean, it wasn't like firearms were easily accessible in Japan, and they probably would have any that were in the school securely locked. Even then, four chainguns were overkill even by that standard. Is it even cost-effective to have something that would use up that much ammunition? Is the school's security run by Orks competing for who can make the most amount of dakka?!_

  
  


_Did the school really lock us in? Could an Ultimate Prankster even acquire this sort of firepower? Is there an Ultimate Soldier that they were trying to contain? Even then, how did they even build all of this in the span of a couple hours? Were the clocks even correct? Perhaps, it had been more than just a couple hours._

  
  


_ It could have been the Ultimate Public Morals Officer! Of course, he would be the first person to put the school on lockdown, probably because someone brought some gum in. That guy is going to militarize the school and turn it into a police-state! I knew it! _

  
  


I was so focused on the situation with the door that I forgot there were fourteen other people in front of me. From their unusual appearances, youthful age, and rather stark diversity, my only assumption could be that they were other Ultimates. Rubbing salt on the wounds of my fragile ego, the taller ones tended to be nearer to me, and, even worse, the two strongest ones were right in front of me.

  
  


_They really just had to rub in how short and weak I am?_

  
  


Immediately, I felt like a complete and utter shrimp before the two muscular behemoths in front of me; even if one of them, the taller and more muscular one actually, was actually female. Yes, Sakura Oogami, the ferocious Ultimate Martial Artist, who has been nicknamed 'Ogre' by many people and called a 'missing link between man and ape' by those who lack a basic understanding of human evolution. She wore a sleeveless schoolgirl shirt as well as a pleated miniskirt.

  
  


_It does look...offish? Not in my tastes? Then again, I am not one to judge. I mean...I pretty much lived my whole life being judged by people. But, she would look really sexy in shorts and a tank- Wait, am I ogling her?! Did I just think those thoughts?!_

  
  


It was time to shift my attention to something else! My pupils then moved towards the next closest person as a light, pink blush formed on my cheeks.

  
  


The other muscled behemoth, a man standing at 6'2”, wore a black overcoat as well as, of all things, eyeliner and a dyed, curly pompadour.

  
  


I presumed that he is Mondo Oowada, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader. Well, his official title was actually the Ultimate Motorcyclist, but de facto he was the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader in the eyes of the public. Still, I never knew bikers actually wore eyeliner.

  
  


_ And of course, Aoi Asahina just had to be in the back, away from me. Well, at least, I won't get a- _

  
  


I managed to get a boner at the worst possible time, and it was feeling uncomfortable in my bloomers. I was...admittedly quite large down there, which ironically became more of a burden than a blessing considering I have to hide it. Immediately, I started to wiggle one of my legs slightly, hoping it would subtly readjust my member to a more comfortable position.

  
  


_And, the one part of my body that is definitely male just has to be so big that it's uncomfortable sometimes. I don't even know if I can even pull this disguise off, even with my bloomers._

  
  


The trend seemed to be that all of those students were my fellow classmates. Had they also fainted only to find themselves lost in the empty school? Did they also hear the voice? They probably didn't, but one thing has become clear as to my situation: the school was not in its normal state.

  
  


Possibilities floated through my mind as to what exactly could be going on.

  
  


_Did the school actually pulled off such an upgrade quickly? Or, am I in the other side of the school, and there were multiple school stores? Is it possible that an Ultimate, with terrible drawing and handwriting skills, managed to kidnap us and lock us in here? Or, is the truth even stranger than anything I could have imagined? Whatever the case maybe, I’m going to have to deal with social interaction with not just one but fourteen other people._

  
  


“Whoa, hey! Another new kid?” some guy who has a braided afro and who, from his appearance, probably smokes weed regularly exclaimed.

  
  


“Is she... staring all over the place?” a short boy with brown hair, wearing a hoodie underneath his school attire, asked; scratching his left jaw with his index finger.

  
  


“Wait a sec, the chick's kickin' her leg a little,” the presumed Mondo noticed, which left me staring at the entire crowd with a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look.

  
  


“U-uhm, I w-was just shaking off the weird feeling my leg has been having since I woke up. I f-fainted and woke up in the AV room,” I tried to explain, almost trembling as my secret was so close to being revealed.

  
  


“We got another shy girl joining in? Hope she doesn't smell like the other one,” a redheaded guy, who donned a white jacket and a goatee said.

  
  


_His goatee is pretty cool...I kind of want to something like it myself. I mean, I can, if I wasn't disguising myself. Kind of glad I have light-colored facial hair. Anything darker, and someone would have noticed it now._

  
  


All the way in the back, in front of the vault door, a nervous girl with braided pigtails shivered and teared up a bit, even gritting her teeth.

  
  


_Well, I guess she's the other 'shy girl'._

  
  


“Stop bugging her! And, the new girl too! They probably had a rough time waking up like everyone else,” Aoi spoke up before pouting and puffing her cheeks up a little, confirming the fact that the rest of the students had fainted the same way I did.

  
  


_She noticed me! And, even saved me from this awkward situation!_

 

My legs grew a little weak at-

 

_Wait, what am I doing?! I was acting like a schoolgirl from a bad anime! Goodness, the costume really was consuming me._

  
  


"Yea, you're right. Sorry new girl," the ginger-haired boy apologized, holding his head down a little.

  
  


Suddenly, the obese otaku spoke with a voice I was too familiar with yet still found rather strange, “So counting her, that makes fifteen. Seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone...”

  
  


_I never believed I would say this in my life, but thank you, Hifumi! Thank you for saving me from the horrid despair of having to explain my leg-shaking antics ever again!_

  
  


"U-uhm, h-hello everyone," I heavily stuttered, trying my best to form words out of my mouth, "I-I'm sorry for b-being late, if I was. I-I f-fainted on the door."

  
  


My whole body was shaking, both intimidated by the other Ultimates' attention as well as the awkwardness of my introduction.

  
  


_They probably are about to dislike me for something. I probably did something wrong._

  
  


"Man, just chill. The same stuff happened to all of us," the man with the afro assured me, while I noticed that his accent was eerily familiar to me.

  
  


Of course, my mind was too occupied on the fact that fourteen other people all fainted like me to focus on his Tohoku accent. It only made me shiver and shake more with fear.

  
  


_A prankster who snatched an unconscious student to the AV room and crafted a poorly made brochure is one thing, but someone who built a vault door with machine gun turrets as well as causing fifteen other students to faint is another thing entirely._

  
  


A raven-haired girl who wore, of all things, a gothic lolita outfit and twin-drills noted the same observation I had in my mind, albeit in a calmer way, "Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser."

  
  


Her scarlet eyes, which undoubtedly were colored contact lenses, focused on the vault door and the other surroundings.

  
  


Then, Hifumi, whose eyes were aimed at the girl in lolita attire, immediately complemented her statement, "So strange... I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a truly strange situation indeed!"

  
  


_Well, there goes '3DPD'._

  
  


Immediately, the otaku shifted his eyes away, sweating a bit on his chubby face. He then began to nibble on his nails, while those pupils shifted back and forth.

  
  


I, in turn, drifted my own eyes away, before a man with short black hair and a white militaryesque uniform shouted, "Just a moment! There's something important that we must address first!"

  
  


Of course, he just had to point his finger at me and call out in my direction, "You! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely, you were aware that the meeting was to start at 8 a.m. sharp!"

  
  


_ Fuck! He's pointing at me! _

  
  


The first time I had real-life social interaction with others in a long while started with hostility. And, of course, it had to be who I can only assume to be the Ultimate Moral Compass, Kiyotaka. I started to shake again with anxiety.

  
  


"To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!" the student who I assumed to be Kiyotaka declared unilaterally.

  
  


_ Seriously?! There is no school meeting to be late to! We have all just fainted upon entering the school and woke up in random locations within the building with no staff members present! With a sealed vault door and chaingun turrets replacing a perfectly normal school entrance! But of course, the trains must run on time, right? Even if you have to be judge, jury, and executioner, and the train station is completely empty? _

  
  


Of course, I didn't do that. Instead, I just shivered and started to back away, hugging myself.

  
  


_This is too much for me! At...At least, this is making my hall-monitor police state theory unlikely. That's a good thing, right? I mean, not getting gunned down for truancy is nice._

  
  


Suddenly, the fiery-haired boy rushed to my aid in the worst way possible, "The hell's your problem? The new girl didn't want to be late. She fainted like the rest of us!”

  
  


_ This is only getting worse and worse! I mean, he's right, but now everyone is now fighting because of me! Do I really cause this much trouble for everyone? _

  
  


“I mean, seriously dude, I'm already having a bad day and shit, cause I got no shed-eye and this weird vault door crap. So, can you stop acting like a total ass?" he continued.

  
  


_I guess the same is true for me.._

  
  


The self-appointed hall monitor blinked, his eyes widening with shock at the spewing of profanity which took place before him. Before he can even responded, Aoi interfered with an annoyed pout, "Everyone just calm down before we all do something really, really dumb! Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves? That'd make us understand each other a bit more and be a bit more friendly."

  
  


She added a smile in a vain attempt to lighten the mood of the room.

  
  


_Thank goodness she intervened. Now, everyone's eyes are no longer on me._

  
  


However, the person who looked like he'd be Mondo was leaning against the wall to my left, before he glared at Aoi with an irritated look, "Now's not the time to go fuckin' around with introductions like we're in a homeroom n' shit. I get where you're comin' from, but we've got bigger shit to deal with."

  
  


The odd gothic lolita, who I presumed to be the 'Celestia Ludenberg' I heard online rumors about, interjected, "Well, she did stop an altercation from happening. Am I correct? Perhaps, we should at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problems here. Or, as you say it, 'bigger shit'."

  
  


_She does have a point._

  
  


The tall man in the black overcoat grumbled something, though I couldn't hear exactly what it was.

  
  


_It might be interesting to know about the other Ultimates and actually practice my social skills. Those really have degraded. And, it's Aoi's idea. I mean, she saved me twice and seems to be pretty nice..._

  
  


_Then again, I'd be forced to deal with fourteen other people, all of whom are Ultimates. From what I read from the school and the news surrounding it, Ultimates tend to be odd, eccentric, and even volatile. Actually, I don't really think this is a good idea._

  
  


"I mean, how are we even supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?" the gothic lolita noted as well.

  
  


_That is true. I am already getting quite tired of referring to her as 'that gothic lolita girl'._

  
  


"That is a good point..." I finally said without any stuttering.

  
  


_Progress!_

  
  


"No stuttering. See, I've already made her comfortable!" the tanned swimmer exclaimed with a big, hearty smile.

  
  


_ Yay! My Speechcraft skill has increased to six! _

  
  


"Such wonderful progress," the red-eyed girl commented with a smaller smile on her paled face.

  
  


I was genuinely confused as to whether that was genuine praise or a sarcastic remark. Regardless, a certain pop idol by the name of Sayaka finally made herself known, "Anyways, let's get introductions out of the way, then we can move on to figuring this place out. Sound good?"

  
  


Of course, she was to be expected, though I was surprised I didn't notice her earlier. Most likely, it was a combination of my general avoidance of idol-related stuff as well as my all around nervousness. After all, this entire situation has been extremely draining so far, and the rumble of my starving stomach reminded me that I really ought to eat breakfast. The lack of a meal only made things worse for me.

  
  


Still, I expected to at least recognize her on sight considering how it was nearly impossible to avoid all the pictures and advertisements plastered all over the country of her.

  
  


_ I probably just don't leave the house too often. _

  
  


Of course, the uniformed student, who I assumed was Kiyotaka, attempted to assert order again, though his voice cracked a little, "Y-yes! Introductions are definitely a necessity for our first school meeting. After all, without knowing each other, we can never truly create an ideal educational environment! Thus, I am declaring this to be the Unofficial Hope's Peak Welcoming Ceremony!"

  
  


The guy in the white-jacket rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we get it. You have to make everything organized and by the book. Well, let's get this show off the road."

  
  


The plan was set. I was to introduce myself to fourteen strangers, all in quick succession. Conversing with one new person was already hard enough, so doing so thirteen more times seemed like a herculean task.

  
  


Could a hopelessly shy and weak person like me survive among this group of Ultimates? Was there any hope in this situation?

  
  


_ Why couldn’t I just have my breakfast and bubble tea? _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there,
> 
> I hoped that you all enjoyed this chapter, however brief it was. Considering the previous gap between uploads, you can consider this to be a vast improvement. Again, all constructive comments, both positive and negative, are appreciated.
> 
> Regardless, the main subject of my notes for this chapter is that I feel like that, considering how relatively 'clean' these chapters have been, I might have been misleading my readers. Sure, there was the explicit rating, but I should warn beforehand that my original idea for this fan-fiction involved smut, graphic amounts of it and of a very kinky nature even. I have a SFW version uploaded elsewhere, but I am reconsidering this plan.
> 
> Do you, the readership, think that this is a good idea? Do you think that smut could be in the same fan fiction as an in-depth story? Or, is it silly to combine the two? I know that the erotic content I have planned for this will be odd and probably won't appeal to the tastes of most, especially those who read this purely for the story. I will add an indication that there will be explicit scenes if I am to go in this direction, and Chapters involving said smut will be clearly marked as such. I apologize in advance if you had been reading this story believing that it would be SFW and now no longer want to read more. I understand that smutty fan-fiction is quite infamous, with a bad reputation, and such things could offend a lot of people's sensibilities.
> 
> Anyways, leave comments as to your opinions on the matter.


	5. Prologue: Introductory Downward Spiral (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided that there will most likely be explicit scenes in this fan-fiction. Any that are story-relevant will be on this fan fiction, while any superfluous/fluff scenes will posted on a collection of side-stories, as suggested by one of the commenters. The SFW version, which is on FanFiction.net, will obviously not have any explicit scenes.
> 
> However, the more important matter is that this chapter is where things truly start to diverge from the canon. I did put in the AU tag, but I should be a bit more explicit, no pun intended, here. The characters, backstories, and even the setting itself will differ, perhaps even drastically, from the Danganronpa canon, including but definitely not limited to Chihiro's character. This is especially apparent in this chapter, where there are hints that the world and lore will not be the same as in canon. I hope this doesn't upset anyone. Comments would especially appreciated as to whether you like the direction the story is going or not.

After the ordeal which almost revealed my secret, most of the other students wandered around the entrance hall to introduce themselves to others, though a few, including myself and a girl with large circular glasses, mostly kept to themselves. For me, the whole experience was frankly terrifying.

 

_Can I really survive among them? Would I even get along with them? What if I screwed up and end up alienating myself from everyone else? What if they figure out my secret? What if I slip up by accident?_

 

Due to this fear, I simply waited, away from everyone else. It was safer.

 

_I can't deal with this! Curse you Aoi and your ideas! Not everyone is outgoing and happy-go-lucky like you!_

 

Regret immediately stabbed at me as I realized what I had just thought.

 

_Wait! I shouldn't snap at her like this. Her intentions were good after all. And, she did save me...And, those two from fighting each other._

 

I sighed before muttering to myself, "Okay, the plan is just to...wing it?"

 

_I don't have a plan._

 

My anxiety practically had crippled me as my body froze in place. Everyone was having their first introductions, except for me. After all, there were fifteen students, including myself. My eyes briefly watched the students before looking down at the ground. The person who I presumed to be Mondo and Sakura were introducing themselves to each other, perhaps due to their proximity.

 

_Okay, I think I delayed the inevitable. But, I feel left out. Look at me. The only person who is not in a conversation with someone else. I'm truly foreign among them. Even the other 'shy girl' was approached. They're all so foreign to me....I feel isolated from them. From everyone else._

 

I raised my eyes back up to focus on Mondo and Sakura, watching them converse.

 

_And, look at those two! Maybe Sakura probably would rather be with someone like that guy over me. Perhaps, it doesn't matter how strong she is. She'll just want someone who can keep up with her..._

 

My eyes returned to facing the ground, until a certain tall, muscular man with a black overcoat approached me. My head had to rear itself up just so I keep eye contact with him, while I nervously tapped my thumb on the index finger of my other hand as it was interlocked with my right hand.

 

_Of course! It has to be the tall muscular guy who looks like he comes from a biker gang! He had to be the first one! Life just has to get worse and worse for me, doesn't it!_

 

"Hey...Uh, Name's Mondo Owada. Nice to meet ya," the biker first said as he rubbed his hand on the back of his head.

 

I clenched my fists and eyes as panic started to set in upon the mention of his name.

 

_God damn it! Not the leader of the biker gang! At best, I'm going to lose my lunch money, and, at worst, I'm going to be sleeping with the-_

 

I paused as I finally noticed something odd about Mondo's demeanor.

 

_He's nervous?! Despite being the infamous leader of the Crazy Diamonds? Wait, my disguise. Well of course, I'm dressed as a girl. It's...working. But, that means..._

 

I gulped my throat as two possibilities entered my head, both equally horrifying.

 

_Either Mondo, like everyone else, only extends such niceness to girls, seeing boys like me as free game. Or, or...No...No! I'm not going to let this happen! I'm not going to become some kind of faggot over this!_

 

My hands squeezed as my mental downward spiral continued.

 

_I knew this was going to happen, I knew it! The moment I put the skirt on, I'm on the romance radar of men. Damn it, damn it, damn it!_

 

My whole body began to shake and shiver. I struggled to open my mouth and say a word.

 

_Just say it and get it over with! Say 'Hello, I'm Chihiro Fujisaki' and run the fuck away! For your own sake, you fucking weak, insipid waste! Just....DO IT!_

 

"Shit," the biker muttered under his breath, probably expecting me to not hear him, before asking me, "You're okay?"

 

A soft whimper emerged from my dry mouth, while I squirmed with fear at the prospect of being the biker's bottom bitch.

 

Mondo gritted his teeth with frustration as he shouted, "Fucking damn it! Just tell me if I'm scarin' ya!"

 

"Y-you are! You are!" I answered, clutching my hands to my chest as I backed away from him.

 

_He's going to beat me up! I don't want to die!_

 

"Fuck!" the notorious gang leader roared as he punched the nearest object, which was the wall.

 

_Thank goodness. Wait, he...actually hurt himself?_

 

He then growled with pain and let out a long breath as his hand clearly ached with pain. "S-Shit...I always get fucking nervous."

 

_I should check if he's okay. I probably pissed him off by not responding to him...So, it's my fault?_

 

I took a couple steps forward, leaning slightly forward to see the damage on his hand. His knuckles were bright red, and he definitely was getting bruises there. "You're, you're okay?" I asked the now calmed down delinquent.

 

"Yeah, it's nothing. I can handle it," he answered before wincing a bit at the pain, in a brief moment of weakness.

 

"It looks p-pretty bad though, " I remarked.

 

"I said I can handle it! I punch walls all the fucking time! Okay? I ain't a fuckin' wuss!" Mondo asserted with a loud yell.

 

My face turned paled upon that last sentence, while it felt like my heart dropped to the floor. My fear of being beaten up or lusted after by a man like Mondo was nothing compared to the proverbial knife he just stabbed into my chest with his comment.

 

_Why...Why do you keep clobbering me in the head with my insecurities?! Is fate this cruel to me? Am I destined to wallow and suffer from this until my untimely demise?!_

 

My dry throat struggled to swallow my own saliva from the combination of stress and dehydration, while tears formed in my eyes. After a few moments of staring at the ground, I began to sob.

 

"Fuck! I keep scarin' the shit out of you!," the tall biker growled with frustration before holding his head down, "I should go, for ya own good."

 

Frowning, Mondo then left my vicinity, leaving me in tears. "I can't. I can't survive this. I don't think I can go through this," I whimpered to myself as tears fell down my cheeks, "I'm, I'm too weak. I can't even last through one person without crying."

 

The word weak played over and over in my head. The voices of many of my elementary school peers sung the word out in a chorus of bullying. Even authority figures who should be sympathetic to me joined in. PE teachers were no different from the bullies, constantly demanding that I get stronger. I squinted my eyes and grabbed onto my own head, panicking as I was haunted by their derisive voices.

 

_I tried! I tried! I tried lifting weights, joining sports, everything! My parents bought exercise equipment, and I forced myself to exercise even when I didn't enjoy it. Was I wrong to give up? Is what I'm doing wrong? Disguising myself as a girl? Defying both fate and society's expectations? Is the world and its twisted gods condemning me for the sin of being a feminine male? For being born with a petite, slender, and short body? For wanting to read, play video games, and program instead of playing sports? For enjoying cute things and sweets, especially baking the latter? Was I destined...to end up like my father or even worse?_

 

Suddenly, at the mention of my father, the loudest shouting of that horrid word slammed me right in the head, in her voice.

 

_Stop it mom! Stop it! Stop it! Stop! It!_

 

After the climax of my brief mental breakdown, my eyes finally open to see the ground beneath my feet. I was panting frantically, while my hands were clutched to my head, fingers running through my hair. The sounds of the world outside my mind returned, revealing the chattering of my new peers to my ears.

 

However, I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn't realize a certain famous idol was right in front of my face. Well, it was more accurate to say she was somewhat above my face considering she was nearly half a foot taller than me. Regardless, it was like a shift from night today, as the most masculine person in the room was replaced by arguably the most feminine person in said room. And despite this, there was still an intimidating aura around her.

 

_I never talked to famous people before, besides internet 'celebrities' and the companies my father had introduced me to. Though, the latter are less famous and more powerful. And, it wasn't ever with the people who were truly on top. More middle and lower-upper management types._

 

"Uhm, you're okay? You looked like you were really upset or hurt over something," Sayaka Maizono asked me, before I even started to think about the Lovecraftian scale of modern corporations.

 

_Her voice...She sounds like me? But, how? I mean, she sounds more...excited and energetic than me, but still..._

 

"O-oh, I'm okay," I answered, before realizing she probably saw me panicking.

 

She tapped on her lips with her index finger, not unlike how I would have tapped mine on my chin whenever I was deep in my thoughts. Who knows how many times I did that in this building already? "I see...You were yelling 'Stop it!' over and over."

 

_So, I blurted that out. At least, I revealed nothing else._

 

"I, uhm, see," I awkwardly said, unable to figure out an excuse for what had happened.

 

The pop idol decided to break the short, awkward silence by introducing herself with a cheerful smile, "Anyways, I'm Sayaka Maizono! You probably know my name already."

 

"That is true. I already knew your name," I responded before introducing myself, "Well, my name is Chihiro Fujisaki, and I'm the Ultimate Programmer."

 

Meanwhile, my attention moved towards her long, dark blue hair. The way she clipped it and how it flowed down smoothly, as opposed to mine's frizziness, impressed me. Actually, she looked really nice all around, though there was a sense of artificiality to it all, from her lightened skin to the use of hair dye and make-up.

 

_Wait, I'm not some Sayaker or what they call it! Her music belongs in the trash bin, and I'm not going to become a fan for the cute outfits or pretty hair!_

 

However, there was one thing which bothered me the most about all this.

 

_No. It's not that I'm becoming a Sayaker. It's not even that I have a perverse lust or an affection for her beauty. I'm not attracted towards her. I...I actually want to look more like her?! I want her beauty for myself?!_

 

"Oh, I see," Sayaka said, with a slightly confused look, before suggesting with an inviting smile, "I can give you advice on how to style your hair."

 

I blinked as my eyes widened with shock, "W-wait! How did you know that?!"

 

_That is impossible! She couldn't be psychic! Psychic powers have been scientifically proven to be impossible, though apparently Hope's Peak thought being a clairvoyant is a talent. I guess it could be if scamming people counts as one. Ultimate Scam Artist..._

 

And, of course, the singer stared at me with a blank yet oddly stern look before saying plainly, "I'm psychic."

 

_What! The! Fuck?! No! Just no! Fainting, possible. Strange voice calling out to me, possible if I'm unconscious. School being on lockdown with machine gun turrets, implausible but still within the realm of possibility. Psychic school girls, now I'm officially in the twilight zone. Or schizophernic. That would explain the voices I'm hearing...Seriously, this is like something from-_

 

My eyes were locked on my feet yet again, widening as a certain real-time strategy game came into mind.

 

_She’s psychic, Japanese, and a schoolgirl. That can only mean one thing. No, it can’t be! I'm in the Red Alert universe! I knew something was wrong the moment I was hearing the voice! Wait, does that mean I'm psychic?! I'm a psychic school girl who is secretly boy? You can't make this shit up! Well, unless it's an anime. Am I in one? Wait, no! Focus Chihiro! Focus!_

 

Sayaka, noticing my plight, reassured me, "Don't worry, I was just kidding! It's really just good intuition!"

 

_Oh now, she's playing mind games with me! Pretending she isn't psychic when she really is! Hiding her secret in plain sight. I bet she's the mastermind behind all of this! Using her psychic powers to knock us unconscious. Probably to have the Imperial Japanese government experiment us for their war effort against the Allied Powers and Soviets._

 

"H-huh. But, h-how did you come to that conclusion?" I asked while gulping my throat.

 

_Seriously, I really hope she isn't reading my mind now!_

 

"I noticed that your hair is pretty short and is a bit messy. I still think it's totally fine and a bit cute though," the blue-haired girl explained before further elaborating, "That and you have a personal blog where you dress up in all sorts of cute outfits! It's actually really cool. I looked it up when I heard that a Chihiro Fujisaki was going to the school. Though, kind of shocked that I found little actual programming stuff besides you showing off your computer and games on your blog."

 

_I...suddenly feel really stupid. Did I actually believe that I went to a parallel universe for a moment? And, psychic school girls? Am I really that gullible? Then again, I'm starting get a precedent for weird stuff. Regardless, I really shouldn't have made a lifestyle blog that people can access online.I mean...I just enjoyed the photography and, perhaps, the outfit part as well..._

 

A light blush formed on my cheeks as I sighed with relief and provided an explanation for my rather empty public portfolio, "I-I guess what goes on the internet stays on the internet forever. But, u-uhm, regardless, most of my work is confidential. After all, companies wouldn't want their competition to know all of their trade secrets, and I honestly prefer not having much public attention. Additionally, I tend to work with my father, who also happens to be a programmer."

 

_Phew, I actually managed to say something coherent. Thank goodness, nothing was leaked about the real extent of my work or even simply my online forays. I truly am a miserable little pile of secrets..._

 

Sayaka perked with curiosity before giggling with yet another cutesy smile, "I see. Nice to meet you, mysterious programmer!"

 

_Mysterious programmer? I like the sound of that title._

 

"Uhm, it was nice to meet you as well. A-and, I'll think about the hair-styling lessons," I said with a warm yet shy smile, waving at the pop idol as she walked away.

 

_That...went better than Mondo's greeting. At least, I didn't have to talk about her music. Though, I'm going to spazz out if it turns out she really is psychic..._

 

My hungry, exhausted body ached to dash for the cafeteria or even just a vending machine. I needed something to fill my stomach with and relieve my dry parched mouth. It even to the point where I was coughing from how dry my throat was.

 

_I'm really hungry...I really shouldn't have skipped on breakfast._

 

Unfortunately instead of food, water, or even simply a better atmosphere, I got the same authoritarian student from before, wearing his white, militaristic uniform proudly, marching towards me in a straight line. It was as if I were a NPC and had a quest marker atop my head. He donned a red armband which read 'Public Morals' as well as knee-high, black boots. His hair was black, short, and spiky, while prominent eyebrows made him appear angry or intimidating at all times.

 

_He's almost as scary as Mondo..._

 

"I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and I believe in bold simplicity! Let us work together on our educational crusade!" the Ultimate Public Morals Officer immediately declared with an obnoxiously loud voice.

 

_So, that confirmed my theory. Goodness, it is rather easy to guess who these people were based on information I gleaned from the Internet. I also take back everything I said about hoping someone like him would be around. This wasn't the work of a simple prankster_ , _and I doubt this guy is really going to be of much help. Also, did his parents actually name him after the first prime minister? It would make sense, with his grandfather being a prime minister for a few months._

 

"Oh, uhm...I am Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer of Hope's Peak," I introduced myself.

 

_On that note, I actually do share the same surname and an extremely similar given name as the Japanese ambassador to the United States. In fact, my given name is a near-anagram of the ambassador's, Ichiro Fujisaki. This is...interesting._

 

The former Prime Minister's grandson blinked before asking, "Wait a moment! Are you by any chance related to Ichiro Fujisaki?"

 

Well, this was to be expected from the grandson of a prime minister. Still, nothing could have been further from the truth than me being related to the diplomat. I then answered, "U-uhm, no actually. I'm not related to him. It's most probably a coincidence. My father wouldn't name me after him, especially since I was born before he became the ambassador, right?"

 

Kiyotaka's eyes shifted as he thought over my explanation, before he said, "Hmmmm....There would be no reason for you to be dishonest with me, as Ichiro Fujisaki came from a line of well-esteemed politicians and diplomats. With a such a well-respected name, there should be no reason to hide your roots."

 

He then continued to assess me with his fierce, heavy-browed eyes. The public morals officer cocked his head slightly, seemingly skeptical of the idea of my name's similarities being a coincidence. His glare shot at me, causing me to wince a little and tremble before him.

 

"S-sorry, but I'm t-telling you the truth, Kiyotaka," was all I said before the stern moral officer interrupted me, pointing a finger right at my face.

 

"Fujisaki-san, you just referred to me by my given name!" He then sternly chided me, pointing his finger right at my face, "And, not even using honorifics?! You realize this is a grave insult?!"

 

I took a couple steps back, trembling again as I apologized, "I-I'm sorry...I just refer to everyone by their given names."

 

Kiyotaka's jaw dropped during my apology before glaring at me, "You do not exist in a bubble, Fujisaki-san! In order to keep a polite society, we must have rules on social etiquette, or else we all will become rude delinquents."

 

_You know, shouting at others and demanding things out of them is pretty rude. Then again, I guess this habit I acquired is going to bother everyone._

 

The honor student furrowed his prominent brow for a moment. "Still, I will forgive you for this transgression against social etiquette, since you're not used to it."

 

_My very existence is a transgression against society's etiquette..._

 

All I did was let out a gentle sigh, look down to my feet, and apologize for my 'mistake', "I-I am sorry for bothering you with that..."

 

Kiyotaka simply smiled and let out a hearty laugh, "Don't beat yourself up for this, Fujisaki. After all, a student is supposed to learn from her mistakes."

 

_I'm not going to like this guy, am I?_

 

"Anyways, I shouldn't make this introduction any longer than it already is, so I hope you have good luck with your education here!" the glorified hall monitor said before simply marching off in a stark contrast to his formal mannerisms.

 

_Did...he just march off like that? All of these formalities, and he simply walks off like it was nothing. This entire conversation was probably done by the 'book'. No, this wasn't a conversation. This was an artificial set of greetings, no different from the logic of a simple program. Actually, I probably have created more advanced greeting systems. That was...until I poked into his precious traditions and rules._

 

Peace had finally returned to my mind as I took a long, deep breath to calm myself. Students were introducing themselves to each other, while I simply kept my distance, standing still on the very same spot. I heard the distant shouting of Kiyotaka towards the boy with the ginger hair and goatee, who simply shrugged with irreverence.

 

It was then interrupted by Aoi, who was standing in-between the two with the woman I assumed to be Sakura. Sayaka, meanwhile, was slowly backing away from the situation.

 

_So, there was an argument? Those two...really don't get along. It does make sense. They're almost opposites of each other. Wait, how long I was thinking about this?_

 

As I emerged from my inner thoughts to the world around me, a boy wearing a green hoodie underneath his otherwise ordinary black school uniform approached me.

 

_Oh great, it's him. The person who started the ad hoc inquisition which led to this awkward situation._

 

Yet, I couldn't help but relate to him a bit, since the boy stood at the same exact height as Aoi: five feet and three inches. Strangely, he had a part of his hair sticking up from the top of his head or an ahoge.

 

_I can't believe ahoges actually became a thing. Has reality been turning into a bad anime the last few years? I mean, look at him! He looks like a generic anime protagonist!_

 

The boy then approached me before introducing himself, "Hey, um, I'm Makoto Naegi."

 

I then remembered. He was my class's 'Ultimate Lucky Student', a position given through a lottery consisting of every person in Japan. Perhaps, the school sought to have a vox populi, or a representative of the rest of society to prevent the talented Ultimates from being detached from the rest of society. Or perhaps, they considered it to be a sign of being extremely 'talented' in luck, of all things, if you won a lottery.

 

_Makoto Naegi...The Ultimate Lucky Student. I hope you don't give me lectures on the power of friendship._

 

I then took a deep breath and composed myself to greet him, "Oh hello, nice to meet you. I'm Chihiro Fujisaki..."

 

_I really want to get this over with fast. That is the way to stop any more awkward encounters from happening, right? Yet, I...feel guilty for being a little rude to him. I mean, he does look like the sort of person who has experienced a similar plight to me._

 

So, I then apologized, "Oh sorry, I feel a little...a little shy doing all of these introductions."

 

_There is...something familiar about him. Perhaps, I see myself in another short, scrawny boy?_

 

His familiarity caused me to have a big, warm smile on my face. "A-anyways, I hope we can along," I quickly added to my previous statements.

 

Makoto then scratched the back of his head, "Uh, same here. Nice to meet you."

 

Then, a sense of deja vu smashed me right in the head like a...dumbbell?

 

_His voice! His appearance! Even his mannerisms! They're so...so eerily familiar. Did I meet him before? And, why was I thinking of dumbbells, specifically dumbbells hitting me in the head?_

 

My eyes widened as I gasped, taking a step back as my eyes looked up and down all over Makoto. "W-wait a second!"

 

_What the hell is going on?!_

 

Makoto recoiled a little as well from my sudden reaction. "Is there something wrong, Fujisaki-san? You're not looking so good."

 

_I never had friends, at least not outside the internet! Did I meet him online? It has to be that!_

 

I shook my head, realizing the awkwardness of what I just did. "O-oh sorry. Perhaps, it's just my imagination, but...have we met before?" I then asked, trembling as I started to get a headache.

 

_What is going on?! My head, it hurts..._

 

"Um, I don't think so. We just met for the first time. Which is why we both said 'nice to meet you'. I think..." he answered with quizzical look on his face, scratching his cheek slightly with his index finger.

 

Well, I have no real memory of ever seeing him before, despite how familiar his voice and appearance were. Perhaps, Makoto just reminded me of myself with his brown hair, shortness, and scrawniness. Still, a faint blush appeared on my cheeks as embarrassment from making an ass of myself in public settled in. "Oh...I see. That is a good point. I'm sorry..." I answered with a slight frown, holding my head down.

 

"Y-you don't have to apologize for that," Makoto said frantically, with a look of concern on his face.

 

"Oh...I see," was the only thing I could say to him, while my headache slowly disappeared.

 

_He seems like the sort of person who would be your unremarkable yet very supportive best friend. The sort of friend who you would invite over to play split-screen multiplayer with. Perhaps, his small stature and hoodie made him look 'gamerish' to me. Maybe, he could understand me?_

 

_But, this only makes the stakes higher. What if, through one wrong word, I ruined the potential friendship? Do I really want to face that fear? The fear of rejection? I don't want to feel the same rejection I had felt back in school. But, isn't the point of me being here is to break out of that bubble? Is it to be in a place where people were just as eccentric as me? I mean, he is probably the sole 'normal' person here, but still...Am I a freak among freaks?_

 

Unfortunately, all of this thinking led to us two simply staring at each other for a few moments. I was probably scaring him off or, even worse, annoying him. Or perhaps, he was being weirded out by how awkward I was being. "Hey, so listen..." I said before relying on my main recourse: apologizing for any potential transgression, "I'm really sorry."

 

Makoto's eyes widened as he seemed completely bewildered. "H-huh?! What are you apologizing for now?" the Ultimate Lucky student asked.

 

_He's getting bothered by this?! Oh no! What to do? What to do?_

 

This was reminding me of the few times I attempted to interact with others in public recently. The over-apologizing, the crippling shyness, the anxiety involving a fear of being hated and rejected for what I am. They all colluded together to make socializing a daunting task for me. "O-oh, I'm sorry for over-apologizing. Y-you just weren't saying anything, so I just thought you were upset. You must be mad at me, right?"

 

"No, not at all! I was just lost in thought about some things," Makoto explained as he shook his head.

 

"Huh...Lost in thought?" I noted to both myself and him.

 

_So, he was doing the same thing I was doing? Perhaps, his thoughts were about me. Were they positive or were they negative? He seemed like he was friendly towards me, not minding me. Of course, people would hide their true feelings on others to not hurt their feelings. Maybe, Makoto was really being annoyed and just wanted to be nice to me for the sake of etiquette. No one would comment on how weird or bothersome I am because of that. They don't really like me, just like how my-_

 

Before my childhood memories had the chance to flood in, Makoto finally snapped me out of my internal panicking, "Yeah! It had nothing to do with me being upset or anything."

 

I finally noticed my petite body was trembling again, my hands clasped onto my chest. Tears were even forming in my eyes as I continued to doubt myself.

 

_He wasn't being genuine about it! I knew it. She was right! People truly were annoyed at me, especially when I cry. I was weak for it. I cried like a girl, and that made me utterly worthless as a boy. The world wanted boys like me to simply take every hit it throws upon us._

 

The slightly taller boy seemed distraught at my current state, having his own panic as he took a step back. "I'm being honest, I swear. You didn't do anything wrong. You're completely fine, Fujisaki-san!"

 

_There was nothing wrong with what I did or say. I didn't embarrass myself in public. People weren't upset at me for being easily scared, for crying, for...being weak._

 

My disguise truly had helped me in this regard. People, who were once unsympathetic, who told me to 'man up', and who looked down upon me, now saw my emotions as a part of being human, as opposed to being some sort of weakness which needed to be disciplined out of me. Being a girl in the eyes of the public made me something more than just a stoic drone, something made of more than just iron.

 

The nerves which were once tense calmed down as I stopped trembling. A couple tears fell down my cheeks, which I had to rub off with my hands. "Oh....T-that is good. I'm sorry for reacting like this," I said.

 

"Don't worry, it's okay. This whole situation is stressing everyone out. We've even almost got a fight here. Kinda scary honestly," Makoto reassured me before looking around the room.

 

Things seemed calmer than they were before. Perhaps, everyone just needed to get over the initial shock, and things will improve from here on. "Well, I'm glad that you like me. I'm really glad, eheheh!" I giggled after breathing a sigh of relief, giving Makoto a warm smile.

 

"See, that's the spirit! You're doing really well," he cheered on with an aura of positivity that would have been nauseating if it weren't for my mind being drowned with an equal amount of negativity before.

 

_Maybe, he really does have an ultimate talent hidden within himself after all. I wonder, has there ever been an Ultimate Social Worker?_

 

Regardless, I nodded with agreement, not sure as to how to respond, "Oh...Well, I guess that's good."

 

"It's nice meeting you, Fujisaki-san. And, uh, don't beat yourself too much, okay?" Makoto said.

 

"Okay...Nice to meet you, Makoto," I responded, which made the 'lucky student' raise an eyebrow.

 

"You...use people's given names? I mean, we're not THAT close," he nervously asked, scratching his chin again with his index finger.

 

_Oh god, not him too._

 

"Y-yes, I'm sorry for bothering everyone so far with that...I d-don't really use honorifics or people's surnames," I answered while holding my head down.

 

Makoto shook his head frantically, "Don't worry! It's no problem."

 

_He's okay with this? This guy is really agreeable._

 

"Oh okay," I softly said.

 

"You're fine if you use surnames or given names. I won't judge you on that stuff. I mean, you're the Ultimate Programmer!" he said with a small smile.

 

"Okay," I nodded, returning a soft smile to him.

 

"Anyways, you're fine with me no matter what. So, have a nice day!" Makoto waved as he walked off to meet and greet with the rest of the students.

 

"I h-hope you have a nice day," I said before muttering to myself, my eyes aimed downwards at my hand, "No matter what..."

 

_Is he truly honest with that statement?_

 

Makoto probably isn't thinking about the full implications of what he was saying. Even the usually tolerant wouldn't tolerate who I am.

 

_That is why I had to bury my secrets as deep as I could. No one should ever know._

 

As I vowed to hide myself forever, even if it pained me, the girl who was wearing a gothic lolita outfit approached me. Her red eyes were focused at me, analyzing every single part of me. They were cold, lacking any sort of real emotion, despite her intense staring. Her hand was raised up to her chin and clenched into a fist, with some sort of metal guard on her index finger.

 

Her face, meanwhile, was shockingly pale as well, being even paler than my skin. In fact, it was unnaturally pale, more akin to the skin-tone of an albino than someone who was exceptionally fair-skinned. Actually, those red eyes really did make her seem like she was an albino. Of course, I never knew about a population of red-eyed albino people, so I naturally assumed this was all the result of heavy make-up and lots of powder. Considering the popularity of technicolor hair dye and colored contacts, it wasn't that weird, even if she took it to a new level. In fact, it was more surprising she didn't dye her hair, but black hair was associated with the gothic lolita look.

 

Upon closer inspection, her 'gothic lolita' outfit was even stranger than I initially thought. All of the traditional hallmarks of the style were there, from the headress to the thigh-high stockings as well as all the frills in-between.

 

However, the first odd feature I noticed was how short her skirt or dress was, reaching only to just above her knees. I had tried some lolita outfits before, although of a sweeter variety, and they never went above the knee. Of course, my diminutive height did lead to my outfits being oversized on my petite frame, but, from what I read on the Internet, it was sort of an informal code to keep dresses and skirts at at least knee-length.

 

The other oddity on the girl who I presumed to be Celestia was her blood-red tie. Ties are something that were usually associated with men's outfits, so it was strange to see it worn with gothic lolita clothing. A bow-tie would have been more conventional for the look.

 

Wait, am I really analyzing another girl's lolita coordination? The outfit was interesting. It seemed like a fusion between a lolita dress and...an unusually frilly suit. Upon realizing Celestia's talent, it made a lot of a sense. She was a gambler, and gamblers were classically depicted with suits.

 

"Y-you're Celestia Ludenberg?" I asked her.

 

The presumed gambler widened her eyes momentarily before giggling, "Yes, you are correct. I am actually quite impressed you pronounced it correctly the first time."

 

She then looked to the side and gave me a slight frown, "It gets quite tiring hearing Cerestia Rudenberg or, even worse, Cerasta Rumpenberg. Sometimes, I almost believe people are being malicious with the mispronunciation. Regardless, it is for this reason I prefer to have others address me as Celeste or even Ceres. After all, I might as well embrace the unnecessary Rs."

 

Of course, I was wondering how did she even get the name or if it was even her real name. Celestia's eyes clearly were slanted like those of the average Japanese person, and her pale skin was obviously heavily powdered. She also had the distinction of being the second student I met out of five who had naturally black hair and didn't dye it some other color. And even if she were part-foreigner, Celestia wasn't a common name in any Western language as far as I know. In fact, Ludenberg wasn't even an actual German surname, according to my online research. It was just some borough in Dusseldorf. However, there was a name that is close to it, and that name actually happens to be in use by a certain minor noble family who had a famous member.

 

_I am feeling really tempted to tease her with this, but it probably isn't a good idea at all. At least, at the moment._

 

"I see," I nodded, a bit too afraid to really question the outlandish name, "I-I'm Chihiro Fujisaki."

 

Right after I said my name, Celestia leaned forward and...started to check my face out. My body started to shake as she was uncomfortably close to me, almost feeling her breath on me. "I have received this question a lot, but are you really Japanese?" the gothic lolita asked, "Your skin is so pale, and your eyes...They're quite wide. And, I presume your auburn hair is entirely natural?"

 

_She's being really, really creepy! I mean, I appreciate the compliments, especially after being shitted upon as the 'foreigner' for so long. But, is she attracted towards me? That might end badly if she found out my secret. Was this ever a good idea?_

 

I shivered as I took a step back, "Y-yes, I am. But, m-may you please don't get so close to me?"

 

Her eyes widened as she gasped, "Oh, apologies. I was simply checking your features."

 

_I hope that wasn't an excuse._

 

Oh no, my response was too rude and abrasive! "O-oh I see. Sorry," I apologized, holding my head down.

 

She smiled before giggling, "Heh-heh-heh, I accept your apology, however unnecessary."

 

_Wait, she wasn't annoyed by my over-apologizing? Or, was it that I couldn't read her true feelings on the matter? After all, Celestia was crowned the 'Queen of Liars' from winning a tournament, supposedly laughing as the other players lost their life-savings to her._

 

I gulped with fear as I realized the dangerous situation I'm in.

 

_Goodness, some of the Ultimates in my class were outright dangerous. What else could there be? An Ultimate Soldier? Ultimate Mercenary, perhaps? An Ultimate Assassin? An Ultimate Yakuza?_

 

_Oh wait, I believe the last class actually had an Ultimate Yakuza. How much money did his Yakuza clan pay the school to get him in there? Probably the amount most people earn in around five to ten years._

 

_Goodness, my mind is drifting off to tangents again._

 

"Oh, okay," I barely managed to utter.

 

Celestia gave another artificially friendly giggle, "My. Despite your shyness, you're quite interesting, indeed. I look forward to knowing you better, Chihiro Fujisaki."

 

_She said my full name? And, no honorifics? Considering she took the formality to say my full name, she probably crossed them from her vocabulary purposely._

 

"It was nice meeting you, Celestia," I responded.

 

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Chihiro. We shall meet each other another time," she said before walking past me.

 

"I bid you adieu," the raven-haired girl spoke in perfect English, even pronouncing adieu correctly, as she left my vicinity.

 

And with that farewell, Celestia Ludenberg, the foreign-minded gambler, was out of my sight, which left me alone again. My solitude, by this point, was like a comfortable abode after the long hard day of laborious social interaction. Already, I felt exhausted from going through five of the Ultimates.

 

_Back to my comfort zone. Was this how my dad felt when he came back home from work? Though, he was doing this for most of the day. I don't think I can even handle an hour with these people!_ _Still, I have to press on! I can't be...weak._

 

That damnable word! It made me wince and recoil in disgust at the pain it reminded me of. Again, memories of the insults they hurled at me haunted me. I remembered being picked up, beaten for the slightest of transgressions, and intimidated into doing whatever they wanted. And, it always ended with me being branded as weak and wimpy.

 

_Stop it, Chihiro! Remember what father told you. This is a new start. Nothing will ever change if you continue to do nothing._

 

_What should I do then? Perhaps, I should approach someone for once? But, who? Who would be the least threatening person?_

 

My eyes searched around my vicinity for someone to introduce myself to. There was Sakura and Aoi, who seemed to be conversing with each other in a friendly fashion.

 

_I really don't want to have another awkward moment._

 

Flustered already, I gulped my throat, while Kiyotaka suddenly butted into their conversation.

 

"Self-introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through a bunch of idle chit-chat!" he shouted.

 

_Goodness, he really is an annoying hall monitor. Still, I probably shouldn't bother either Aoi or Sakura. Let's see who else I can talk to._

 

There was the blond, tall boy who wore a tuxedo. His eyes were looking away from everyone else, as if he didn't want to see any of the new faces around here. There was a look of slight disgust on his face.

 

_I really don't think he's going to be friendly at all or even want to talk to me._

 

My sight was then turned to the only person left nearby, the guy with the braided afro. Immediately, I thought of him as the 'Weedman' due to his hair. He would have been slightly shorter than the blonde, but his prominent hair made him appear to be taller. His attire consisted of a yellow undershirt topped by first a white button-up and then a black jacket which he wore on his shoulders. Lower down his body, he wore baggy, black pants which were rolled up to his calves.

 

_He really looks...rustic? Old-fashioned? Especially with those sandals. Now that I think about it, his accent..._

 

It was then I really thought about his way of speaking from earlier. He had a distinctly Tohoku accent. Quite different from the variant I was more used to, but it definitely wasn't the normal Kanto accent I heard from almost everyone else here. I guessed this was why I didn't immediately recognize it.

 

_Well, perhaps I should meet with him then..._

 

And, this was when my friendship was sparked from sheer nationalism. Or, was it just pure regionalism? Regardless, it might be a bit shallow, but having someone who shared something in common, even if as basic as coming from the northern parts of Japan, should make things easier, right?

 

For the first time, I actually approached another person in real life, who wasn't my father, for a conversation. My heart was pumping as I came closer and closer to him, before looking upwards. I gulped my throat as I struggled to utter a single word. He, meanwhile, gave me a confused look as he scratched his head, "Something wrong, kiddo?"

 

I shook my head, trying my best to say something. Finally, my lips barely uttered out the words, "N-no."

 

"Hey, don't worry dude. Just take it easy, yeah?" he reassured me before introducing himself, "I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure. Not really sure of what you can call me for short though..."

 

Of course, he didn't actually use the word dude or the closest Japanese equivalent otoko. That would have made me piss myself in fear of my secret being revealed. I added it in purely to distinguish his rather informal and friendly way of speaking.

 

_So, that's the Weedman's name..._

 

Yasuhiro Hagakure was mentioned online as the Ultimate Clairvoyant for my class. Apparently, he was a member of the psychic community, going by the name of 'Supernova'. I vaguely remembered watching some Youtube videos debunking his rather outlandish 'theories'. Being a casual viewer of the sort of 'skeptic' and 'rationalist' videos that were the big trend on the internet at the time, my opinion of the man immediately dropped several octaves, like how my voice would if it goes into 'boy-mode'.

 

_Oh great, just what I needed. More supposed psychics. Honestly, considering how weird things have been...Maybe, psychics really do exist._

 

There were, however, far more important things to attend to than questions as to the existence of psychics and the ensuring implications.

 

_Like the person who was standing in front of me. How should I respond to him? Maybe, I should...just tell him my name._

 

"U-uhm, my name is Chihiro Fujisaki," I responded.

 

"Chihiro Fujisaki...I see it now," Yasuhiro said as he stroked his chin.

 

"S-see what?" I asked, leaning forward as I listened intently.

 

_Please don't be psychic._

 

"You're like Mount Fuji! Calm, beautiful, and serene, yet ultimately building up to an eruption," he explained.

 

_W-wait, what?!_

 

My eyes nearly popped as I looked at him awestruck. It was a shock, as if his prediction actually pierced through the aura which surrounded me.

 

_It's just a coincidence! Just a coincidence! And, beautiful?! Is he coming onto me?! I mean...I do like being complimented, but I'm not gay! I...really wished a woman would compliment me in that way._

 

"Just kidding...Or, am I?" he half-assured me, "I get my divinations both randomly and when I try to. When I get it randomly, sometimes I don't even know I got one. From your look, I guess I really just got one."

 

_So, he randomly predicts the future and can see through my secrets? I really hope his powers are truly just fantasy. Because, I'm screwed if he can figure out that I'm a boy._

 

"I...I don't really believe in predicting the future. In fact, I think there is no such thing as a single future," I declared, which was the closest thing I had done to countering someone.

 

"Dude, that's part of how my predictions work. They only work thirty percent of the time," the clairvoyant explained, "I do some numerology involving the amount of letters in your name as well as using birth-dates and other information to figure out a prediction. It's some really cool stuff, man!"

 

_There is no way that numerology alone explains his ability. Actually now, my opinion of Hope's Peak has lowered as well. I thought I was special for being an Ultimate, but a self-proclaimed psychic gets the title too? Just for having a thirty percent rate of being right? There is no justice..._

 

"But yeah, dude. I'm seeing it. There's totally more to you than meets the eye! I predict that you're going to explode sometime. Like in anger. Not actually blowing up. Only thirty percent chance that it's gonna happen though, Fuji," Yasuhiro said.

 

_Oh god, he's actually giving me Fuji as a nickname! Still, I don't want to hurt anyone! I don't want to hurt anyone!_

 

"I am not going to hurt anyone!" I suddenly yelled in an outburst.

 

"Whoa, Fuji! You don't have to make my prediction come true immediately. Didn't say you were gonna hurt someone. That's all you, not me," the scruffy fortune teller frantically said.

 

_Oh no, oh no, oh no! I'm ruining this! I'm ruining this!_

 

"I-I'm sorry, Yasuhiro! I-I'm sorry!" I apologized repeatedly, while my hands were clasped to each other and body was trembling with anxiety.

 

"Whoa dude, calm down! Chillax! Take it easy, you did nothing wrong!" Yasuhiro said in an attempt to calm me down.

 

"S-sorry," I once again apologized as I held my head down.

 

"You really gotta say sorry less, man. You're one hundred percent fine with me, Fuji!" he chuckled before offering a hand, "And, don't worry about that time you called me by first name without those silly honorifics. I'm a chill guy."

 

I extended my much smaller hand out to shake his. "Okay..."

 

"But yeah, dude. You look really interesting. I read you up online, and I can't really get much out of you besides being a programmer and some blog," Yasuhiro noted before chuckling, "By the way, my hometown is Fujisaki, in Aomori."

 

_So, he really is from the Tohoku region._

 

My eyes widened a bit as I blinked, "W-wait, really?"

 

"Yeah dude, I was gonna mention it earlier, but my divination popped in,” the clairvoyant explained.

 

“I see...” I said, while a small smile grew on my face, before remarking, “My father took me there a couple times. I even got to check out an apple farm.”

 

_Fuji apples are the best!_

 

“Woah, that sounds kinda cool. My mom actually works at an apple farm and a rice field,” Yasuhiro said.

 

My eyes widened as my jaw nearly dropped in shock from what he just said.

 

_Wait, what?! His mom works at an apple farm AND a rice field?!_

 

“Yeah, she has to make ends meet and all. You'd be surprised at how much she makes. Guess it's all of that overtime she does,” he explained further, scratching his braided hair awkwardly.

 

_Overtime?! Wait, is his mother single? That explains it, but...but this isn't how I imagine a mother would be! I thought...I thought-_

 

“So, uhm, what region you came from, Fuji? You do look foreign,” the fortune teller asked me, interrupting my train of thought.

 

“O-oh, I come from Ho-” I answered before a certain public morals officer suddenly appeared between us.

 

Of course, Kiyotaka shouted with his definitely not indoor voice, "Enough chattering! You're wasting valuable time, especially with your ridiculous rambling, Hagakure-san! And, your stuttering and reluctance is making your incredibly slow, Fujisaki-san!"

 

I immediately winced, shaking as I was taken aback by the sudden interruption.

 

_Why does he keep hounding on me?! Leave me alone!_

 

"Whoa dude! Okay, okay. We'll make the conversation short. Just relax, okay?" the clairvoyant said, as he scratched his head.

 

"Self-introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through a bunch of idle chit-chat!" the glorified hall monitor explained.

 

_Wait, did he actually say that exact same line before? Is this guy even human, or did I create the world's first true artificial intelligence in my sleep?_

 

"Okay. Sorry if I got caught up with this kind of stuff, Fuji," the scruffy eccentric apologized, while the public morals officer wandered off to enforce his idea of school regulations on other students.

 

"I-it's no problem," I shook my head, fidgeting my fingers together.

 

"Hey, how about we talk about this and maybe about the lost civilization in Lemuria later on over some sake?" he asked before letting out a hearty laugh.

 

_Lemuria?! He does realize that- Actually no, let's talk about the alcoholic elephant in the room!_

 

"You mean-" I was about to ask him before he interrupted me.

 

"Oh crap! I remember, you're all underage" he noted with a snap of his fingers before explaining, "I'm 20 years old, actually. Kind of been held back a few years."

 

_Well, if he is so gullible to believe in all sorts of nonsense superstition, then I guess it was warranted to not let him pass high-school...W-wait, I'm being really judgemental of the guy._

 

"I s-see," I simply said, since I really didn't know what to say in response without sounding mean.

 

"Don't worry, dude. You're cool. Actually, really want to hit you up for a chat sometime. Call me psychic, but I predict that you're going to be cool to hang out with," Yasuhiro chuckled.

 

_He...actually likes me? As a friend? I'm 'cool'?_

 

"R-Really?!" I asked excitedly while giving him a big smile, even bouncing a bit.

 

"Yeah, you look smart and seem like it too," Yasuhiro explained before scratching his chin, "Never really thought about the multiple futures thing until you came along. Maybe, you can even program something to help me out with my predictions."

 

_I'm not exactly that useful, especially when we're probably trapped in a place with no computers. Well, there could be computers at the computer lab._

 

My eyes watered a little with joy for the first time since I ended up in this school. "T-Thank you...I'll definitely try to be around," I responded while clasping my hands together to my chest.

 

"Dude, you don't have to thank me just for complimenting you a bit. But yeah, hope to see ya soon, Fuji!" he said before waving at me and walking off with a casual smile on his face.

 

_Did...I weird him out?_

 

"S-sorry for being weird," I said before waving back at him awkwardly, "See you later, Yasuhiro."

 

_This went...slightly better than expected. Slightly...  
_

 

_Don't worry. He just left because we both didn't want to face Kiyotaka's wrath._

 

Before I could even let out a sigh of relief, a person who I both knew too much about and never met before waddled his way to me. Already, his average height dwarfed mine, but his width was what truly made me feel small.

 

Of course, it would have been more intimidating if Hifumi wasn't downright comical in his appearance. His body was an oval shaped lump of fat, with relatively thin legs and arms sticking out. They were, of course, still somewhat thick, but I was immediately wondering how he could even sustain his own body weight. This wasn't even factoring in the pointed ahoge which stuck out of his black, short hair like a sore thumb or the curled sideburns.

 

His attire was just as, for the lack of a better term, goofy. He wore circular thick-rimmed glasses as well as a tie which had an arrow pointing upwards and a larger one which both pointed downwards and took up the entire bottom part of his tie. Hifumi also donned a grey cardigan shirt with a white button-up underneath as well as undersized black pants. And yes, there was a good reason why this guy had an Encyclopedia Dramatica article made about him.

 

"Greetings, milady. I...am Hifumi Yamada. But, you most probably know me by my online moniker," Hifumi introduced himself before his voice suddenly boomed with confidence and went down an octave or two, "The Alpha and the Omega!"

 

Of course, I recognized the user-name. Not that the identity behind the name was secret. 'The Alpha and the Omega!' was a prolific creator of doujin works, especially involving Princess Piggles. Apparently, she was from some anime, and Hifumi practically made her his waifu. His obsession with her, among other eccentricites, was noticed by many on the internet, and this combined with his inability to deal with criticism well made him a favored target among trolls.

 

_Oh god, not him. Anyone but him. Well, I'm going to have to deal with him either way. Just say hello, introduce your name, and leave. That way, you don't have to cringe or, even worse, end up in a creepy situation with him._

 

"U-uhm, hello...I'm Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer," I quickly introduced myself before attempting to end the conversation, "Anyways, I s-should be going. I still have to introduce myself to more people."

 

"Wait! I was wondering if you're interested in the world of 2D as your blog demonstrates or if you're just a poser," he asked me.

 

_Wait, world of 2D? He considers his fantasies to be a 'world'?_

 

"What exactly do you mean by world of 2D? Anime and manga?" I asked him in turn.

 

_I was playing through Persona 4 recently, and I did share bits of my playthrough on my blog. Maybe, he is just assuming I'm into it. Still, aren't the games technically 3D? I mean, I guess Persona 1, Innocent Sin, and Eternal Punishment are all 2D..._

 

"Giving me a question for an answer...Interesting. But yes, that is exactly what I mean. In that world, I have acquired the well-earned reputation of being the Ultimate Doujin Artist. One of my doujins had sold 10,000 copies at a school festival," Hifumi bragged to me, earning an irreverent roll of my eyes.

 

Of course, the well-recorded incident where he was selling his Princess Piggles fan comics on a stand, complete with upskirt shots of the titular character blushing. I wonder if more sales were due to people actually enjoying the comics or the fact he had become a meme in the eyes of the internet.

 

He huffed and clenched his chubby hands, "People complained that I tainted the event. And, many have made fun of me for it. Especially that foul troll who would constantly try to shame and humiliate me online, the Phrygian Scourge!"

 

I let out an awkward, nervous laugh, rubbing my hand on my other arm. "O-oh w-wow, he must be really terrible to treat you that badly..."

 

His eyes then returned to me before the doujin artist questioned me, "So, are you truly into the world of 2D? Or, are you yet another poser trying to bank on the trend like so many 3D girls?"

 

_I'm being vetted. It's kind of strange being on the other side of this._

 

"I-I'm more of a fan of a video games, h-honestly," I answered with a gulp.

 

"I see... Still, I am hardly interested in a 3D girl like you," he declared before deepening his voice again, "This well-esteemed gentleman is 2D only!"

 

_Oh god, he's going to ramble about how imaginary girlfriends are better than real ones._

 

I let out an exhausted sigh, "Of course, you are. Anyways, I should definitely be going. Seeyoulater!"

 

Afterwards, I turned around and tried to walk my way out of the awkward conversation. My little legs frantically scurrying to keep me away from the obese doujin artist.

 

_This is even worse than the time I learned of what the word 'trap' meant from one of his posts. He was salivating over a crossdressing character from an anime. I'm...going to keep my distance from him. I really doubt the sincerity of his '2D only' policy on relationships. However, I still feel very, very guilty despite all of this._

 

I didn't even bother to hear what he said afterwards. Just conversing with him was bringing up memories and weird feelings within me, and I wasn't comfortable with them at all.

 

As I power-walked my way away from Hifumi, someone suddenly pushed on me. That someone proceeded to let out a hiss, which caused me to turn my head towards her. She was an average-looking girl. In fact, she was the most average-looking student I had met so far. Wearing a purple, conservative school uniform, the girl stood at around five feet and four inches. Her black hair hung down in two long braids, though the lighting of the room did give her hair a violet hue. The only really distinctive features, visually at least, were the mole on the left side of her chin and her large, circular, and thin-rimmed glasses.

 

_What the fuck! W-wait, the shy girl is Toko?! I thought I would recognize her earlier!_

 

Far more 'unique' than her appearance was her smell, which violated my innocent nostrils with their stench. I only got a whiff of it due to her pushing me away so fast.

 

_What is this stench?! What's going on?!_

 

However, what immediately went through my mind wasn't her appearance or even smell, but instead the fact that she was the famous author, Toko Fukawa. Of course, the next thing my mind wondered about was, _Why did she just push me?!_

 

"W-watch where you're going! N-ngh!" the 'shy girl', who the boy in the white jacket had been referring to, hissed, "Y-you....you just see me as nothing, don't you! Like I'm not even there!"

 

"W-what?! N-no, I don't! I s-swear!" I desperately tried to answer and reassure her.

 

_Your smell also makes it impossible to not notice you._

 

She was gritting her teeth as her body trembled with anxiety, "Y-you wouldn't just bump into me then! You clearly d-don't care if I exist or not, not even bothering to notice me when I'm in front of you!"

 

"T-that...That wasn't I was thinking! I-I was just-" I attempted to explain before she cut me off.

 

"Don't even try to make e-excuses!" she shouted as she swiped her arm at me, making me jump back a little.

 

"S-sorry...I w-will pay attention next time," I apologized as I started to tremble in fear.

 

"You w-won't! B-because, you think you can do whatever you want because you're pretty! You s-see an u-ugly girl like me as nothing, l-like bugs or dirt," Toko scowled.

 

_She isn't ugly! Maybe, smelly and...mean. But, she doesn't look terrible._

 

Toko and I simply stared at each other in a protracted stand-off, too scared to make the first move. I muttered the word 'sorry' over and over.

 

_I keep over-apologizing, but I don't want to be hated for something I didn't do. I don't want to be bullied or hated like before._

 

Suddenly, Kiyotaka swooped in like a hawk as well as leering at us like one with his fierce looking eyes. "You are supposed to introduce yourselves to each other, not yell and stare at each other! Introduce yourselves or else I will be forced to report you to the office!" he commanded the both of us.

 

_Office?! We've fainted and there's chaingun turrets, and you think that reporting us to the office for not introducing ourselves is a priority! Even if the school staff is here, they aren't going to be helping us. If they were, they would have found us here by now!_

 

"Nnnggggrrrh! You hate me too?! Everyone hates me for being ugly and smelly!" the author growled as she started to panic, grabbing onto her hair.

 

_Actually, Kiyotaka's right. We should just get this over with._

 

"I'm Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer. And, I-I already know that you're Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy," I quickly said before turning to the glorified hall monitor, "I-is this good enough?"

 

_Good. Don't mention anyone's name around him._

 

"Do not speak out of turn, Fujisaki-san! A proper introduction must be a two-way conversation!" he barked.

 

_God damn it! I did everything, and he won't let me go!_

 

"N-nnngh, I-I am T-Toko F-Fukawa, the U-Ultimate W-Writing Prodigy," Toko introduced herself before hissing at both of us, "N-now, leave me alone, Mister Stick-Up-My-Ass!"

 

"You do not speak to others in such a rude way!" Kiyotaka chided the anxious author.

 

"Nnngh, s-stop calling me rude! I know it! Grrraaaaahh!" the unwashed girl growled, clutching onto her own hair.

 

_Wait, they're focused on each other. I wonder if they'd notice me escaping._

 

I waved my hand at them to see if they reacted. Instead, they kept on arguing. The contents of their argument were no matter as I silently sneaked my way away from the two Ultimates to the corner of the room, right beside the vault door. There was some sort of cubby box, which I guessed was a lost and found.

 

_Finally, some peace and quiet. God, these Ultimates are terrifying. I don't think I can last a day with them. Especially him! The others either are okay or only an issue if you get near them, but Kiyotaka is like a helicopter! Actually yes, he's a helicopter parent in hall monitor form! I should watch for Mondo and Hifumi as well._

 

_Actually, no wonder Hifumi boasts about 2D being best. People really are scary..._

 


	6. Prologue: Introductory Downward Spiral (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this was a long one. But, it was less for the chapter itself, and more that I decided to rework the first three chapters to fit more with the style that I have settled on. (And, fix issues that I noticed in them.)
> 
> Considering this is my first real attempt at writing something, I guess it was inevitable that I would come to find ways to improve it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter as well as the new style. I'm just glad to be done with character introductions.

_Well, Yasuhiro seems to be pretty nice, and Makoto isn't too bad._

 

I shook my head frantically, as I assessed my situation.

 

_Okay, loneliness is the least of your problems here. You are trapped in a school with fourteen other oddball students. Some of whom have quirks that make them by default dangerous to you. You fainted for an hour, heard a weird voice in your head, woke up elsewhere, walked through a strangely renovated school, and there's enough dakka in this room to slaughter a whole battalion of men. To make things worse, you have to introduce yourself to these fourteen others while being stressed out and having no real experience with social interaction in public._

 

_This has to be a bad dream! It has to be!_

 

So, I slapped one hand with my other. “Ow!” I yelped in pain.

 

_This is definitely real._

 

A headache started to throb in my head, while my eyes ached from fatigue. My frail body slumped slightly, before I rubbed my eyes out.

 

_Goodness, I'm feeling worn out. Is it the lack of sleep or is it the lack of caffeine? I could really use some iced tea or a soda._

 

And, my mouth still felt as dry as the Sahara.

 

_Why...Why can't I just get breakfast?_

 

I felt weaker and weaker as my eyes fluttered, while my body shifted slightly from side to side.

 

_This isn't normal. I usually don't have a huge appetite. In fact, it's usually the opposite. So, this is why you never skip on breakfast..._

 

When I finally paid attention to my surroundings, a girl wearing a purple, cropped suit-jacket and a black, pleated miniskirt was walking up to me. Every step was quite audible from the pitter-patter of her high-heeled boots, which reached up to her knee. Her extremely long, silvery hair hung down to her upper thighs, while she had a single braid on her left side which was tied with a black ribbon.

 

Two features, however, stood out the most. The first I noticed was her studded, black gloves.

 

_Gloves? I mean, she must have fainted before going inside, but we came here at the tail-end of summer. The weather was pretty hot today actually. So, why wear gloves?_

 

Then, something struck me more than any other feature on the girl. It was her lavender eyes.

 

_Lavender eyes?! Wait..._

 

It then dawned on me. The last memory I had before I fell into this rabbit hole.

 

_The headmaster! But, no! It has to be a coincidence! They couldn't be related. Human beings don't naturally have lavender eyes, after all. The two just wear contacts of the same color._

 

I gulped on my throat and was about to figure out a theory behind this, but the silver-haired girl was already right in front of me. “My name is Kyoko Kirigiri,” she greeted me with a neutral expression.

 

I never heard of this name in the thread. There were even discussions of me in there, and I kept myself hidden, only posting anonymously.

 

_Then again, students have the option to remain anonymous until the day they enter the academy. Maybe, I should have chosen that option. It would have spared me a lot of trouble._

 

“U-uhm, my name is Chihiro Fujisaki,” I replied, trying to go through the motions, “And, uhm, I'm the Ultimate Programmer.”

 

_Wait, she didn't bring up her ultimate?_

 

Her face stayed blank, as if she had no emotion. All she said in response, “I see..”

 

_Did a competitor steal my code and created a robot from it? Because, she has less emotion than what a real AI would have. Well, the most likely explanation is that she's just that reserved, with even more of a poker face than Celestia. I...should be cautious of her._

 

And for what seemed like half a minute, we simply stared at each other. The two of us scrutinized every detail of each other with our inquisitive eyes. It was as if there the walls we constructed prevented us from seeing each other's true intentions. No, the truth was that it was more like we were staring at each other from opposing sides of a demilitarized zone.

 

_North and South, East and West. All I see in her is distrust, and all she sees in me is fear._

 

Our staring contest started to wear down on me as I started to tremble with anxiety. “I should go and finish my introductions. No point to staying in a conversation that is going nowhere, after all,” Kyoko noted before walking off to do exactly as she stated.

 

As she left, I barely caught glimpse of a slight smirk and heard what could barely be construed as a chuckle. Her heels tapped with every step, most likely taking her to the next student to coldly and briskly introduce herself to.

 

_How many of them are left? There were fourteen oth-_

 

My eyes widened as my post-fainting haze dissipated, which revealed a certain discrepancy.

 

_My class was supposed to have sixteen students. But, there's only fifteen, including myself, of us here at this moment. Where is the sixteenth student?_

 

Before I could think any further on this, a certain redheaded boy stopped my train of thought by standing in front of me. If I had known how he was going to greet me, I wouldn't have stopped the train. If only it were an actual train.

 

“Hey, what's up 'shy-girl'?” the boy in the white jacket asked me, scratching the back of his head.

 

_Oh god, I'm getting nicknames again!_

 

“I-I'm doing okay,” I answered, while my hands clasped onto each other tightly.

 

“I dunno...You're not really looking so hot. It's like you've just seen a ghost or something,” the red-haired guy noted, having seen my near constant trembling.

 

_Calm down, calm down._

 

“Just don't worry about it. I'll make sure nothing happens to you,” he continued with a so-called 'reassurance'.

 

_God fucking damn it!_

 

Any attempt I made in settling myself down was dashed by the boy showing the faintest possibility of being interested in me.

 

_I can't believe I'm saying this. But...I hope you're just being a gentleman with this. Wait, he doesn't even look like that sort._

 

From his grunge undershirt to his labret, his appearance was almost downright gaudy. He even had two studded belts overlapping each other. Three rings adorned his right, or left from my perspective, hand., while a chain necklace did the same from his neck. It also didn't help that he had several ear-rings on his right ear.

 

_And then, there's the...goatee ponytail? I...never seen that before. I mean, it does look a little cool, sans the piercing._

 

It definitely was his most distinctive feature. After gulping on my throat for the umpteenth time, I meekly answered, “U-uhm, okay...”

 

_That should work. Actually, I should probably just introduce myself and get it over with fast._

 

“I-I'm Chihiro Fujisaki. I-it is nice to make an acquaintance of you,” I interjected before he could even respond.

 

He frowned slightly before letting out a tired groan, “Yesh, already rushing the whole shebang?”

 

I frantically shook my head, even though that was exactly what I was doing.

 

“Shit, guess you're really that shy,” the fiery-haired boy noted before he grinned and gave me a flirtatious wink, “But yeah, I'm Leon Kuwata!”

 

_God damn it, he's flirting with me! This was a bad idea! I am a terrible person! Why did I usher forth the homo apocalypse?!_

 

My little hands clenched into a tight fist, while I quaked with anxiety. Fear drove my heart to beat faster and faster, while I struggled to open my mouth.

 

“U-uh, you're okay, Fujisaki-san?” Leon asked, with a look of concern on his face.

 

_Just say yes and move on. Just say yes. Just say yes!_

 

“I-I'm okay,” I answered quickly, “A-anyways, I s-should probably get going. See you later!”

 

After that, I bolted away from the situation as fast as I could without running, not even looking back to see how he was reacting.

 

_ Okay, so that was Leon Kuwata. Looks completely different from the picture I saw of him online. He definitely looks more like the Ultimate Rockstar than a baseball player. Okay, but that is far less important than him hitting on me. But, calm down, Chihiro. It can't get any worse. It can't get any worse than the possibility of an  _ _athletic_ _ guy fucking you in the ass, just to rub in how much of a sissy you are. Of course, NOTHING can get any worse than that! _

 

While I was screaming internally, someone took advantage of my mind being distracted from the outside world. Someone who was almost a foot taller than me, which made her large bosom pop right into my face. Whatever she was wearing, the top clearly revealed way more cleavage than what any sort of school code should have allowed for, even showing off her lacey black bra.

 

_Holy cow..._

 

For a moment, my eyes were glued to the pair of breasts which were right in front me, before I moved my head up to see the person they belonged to. She had a make-up laden face with blue eyes and blond, bleached hair that was done in pigtails. One pigtail was secured in place with a bunny shaped hair-clip, while the other was secured with a bowtie.

 

_Wow...Is it weird that I want some for myself? Wait, I know her from the research I did online. The Ultimate Fashionista. Junko Enoshima?_

 

With her hands on her hips and a big, open smile on her face, the girl I presumed to be Junko called me out, “Hey there, Chihirooooo!”

 

_She knows my name?!_

 

“H-hey, Junko Enoshima?” I asked, my eyes desperately trying to avert gazing at her bosom for too long.

 

_How is she getting away with this and why isn't Kiyotaka screaming at her ears to button up her cardigan?_

 

“You know my name?! I'm flattered!” the fashionista giggled.

 

“It...It wasn't that hard to look you up. You being one of the biggest fashion models in the country. I'm surprised no one noticed you earlier,” I explained, trying my best to keep my composure.

 

She then turned slightly to the side to pose at me, covering one eye with her opposite hand.

 

_That pose...I think I remembered it from somewhere._

 

“I am a master of stealth! No one notices me until it's too late!” Junko boasted before letting out a haughty laugh.

 

_You're not stealthy...like at all. People can see you from three kilometers away. In fact, isn't that your job? To stand out and look fashionable?_

 

“And, I don't just stand around and look pretty for the cameras. I'm behind a lot of the products nearly everyone hear wears. Convenient hair dye that needs minimal maintenance? Me! Colored eye contacts that can be applied with no hassle and are affordable without potential eye injury? Me! Skin lighteners? Me! Ludenbrat's hair clips? Me!” she explained in extensive detail before finally breaking her pose.

 

_I guess I stand corrected. Now, I feel kind of bad for assuming that it was other people in the company who were behind the products. I mean, they're not her inventions, but I guess she popularized them._

 

“U-uhm, I see,” was all I could say in response to what I witnessed.

 

“Sooooo, what was happening with you and Leon?” she teased with a devious, flirtatious grin.

 

_Damn it! Now, people are thinking I'm into guys!_

 

“U-uhm...U-uhm...” I whimpered.

 

_Just say something!_

 

Junko rested her hands on her slightly wide hips as she contemplated, “Hmmm...Hmmm..You were running from him. That can only mean three things.”

 

“W-what are those three things?” I asked, bracing myself for the worst.

 

“Either you're not into guys with beards, you're playing hard to get, or...” the blonde noted, pausing before she announced loudly, “Or, you're playing for the other team!”

 

The fashionista went cross-eyed as she stuck her tongue out and wiggled it around the place.

 

_Wait, what?! I mean, she knows?! Or, what?! I don't want the attention, but she thinks I'm not gay. Or, not straight as a girl. Or, fuckmylifethisistoodamncomplicated! FUUUUUUUUUU!_

 

“W-what?” I asked with horror at the apparently insane girl in front of me.

 

_And, why are you sticking your tongue out like that?!_

 

She then made that oddly familiar pose again, “You can't fool me with the way you were staring at my tits. You are a lesbo! A Dutch dyke! My extraordinary analysis skills have never failed me!”

 

_ What the fuck is wrong with her?! Is she on drugs?! Is she somehow psychic too?! No...she'd know my secret. Also, psychics don't exist unless I see definitive proof of their powers, end of story! I refuse to believe that they exist without direct, conclusive  _ _evidence_ _ ! _

 

“Your lack of an answer confirms it as the truth!” Junko declared again, before she broke her and spun her eyeballs all over the place.

 

_How the fuck is she doing that?! She's going to make everyone look at us! Abort, abort, abort, abort!_

 

I immediately started to back away before whimpering, “P-please don't be loud.”

 

_I can pretend to be girl, and yet I can't even lie about my preferences?!_

 

My hands clutched together against my chest and squeezed on the green fabric of my jacket, before a voice I had heard earlier interrupted Junko, “Hey, stop bugging her!”

 

Suddenly, my eyes turned to see Aoi standing at a height not much taller than mine, with her hands on her hips. She was wearing a red sports jacket atop a white tank top and blue athletic shorts. The swimming pro stared at the fashionista with determination before elaborating, “I don't know what's up with you, but you can't just go scaring people around.”

 

_She's amazing...Yet, this all feels kind of cliché. The bullied nerd getting defended by a kind, sweet girl. This has to be some kind of dream._

 

“Me?! Bugging her? I'm just playing with her! Right, Fujisaki-chan?” Junko giggled with a big smile.

 

“U-uhm...I...I wouldn't really call it that,” I answered softly.

 

“Now, you're forcing her to pretend that you're not bothering her?” Aoi grumbled before sighing, “Look, go pick on someone your own size.”

 

I visibly cringed at that statement.

 

_I don't know what is worse. How cliché that line is or how she's really rubbing in how small I am._

 

“Wow, even Chi-chan here is cringing at that line! Somehow, you're beating Naegi-kun at the cliché game,” Junko laughed before smiling, “But, I like it. We need a girl-next-door type, even if you don't really look the part. Though, I think Fujisaki-chan here might fit the bill even more~”

 

_Chi-chan? Really? I mean, I doubt I'll get an image board revolving around me. Making something with your real-life name on it really is counter to the spirit of those boards._

 

The swimming pro clenched her fists and stared at the fashionista defiantly. “W-what are you even talking about?! Can you just shut up for a bit?!” she demanded.

 

“Sorry. I'm just soooo excited at all the Ultimates here. It's like an anime in real life, a dream come true!” Junko explained with an uncannily cheerful grin.

 

_The fuck?_

 

Aoi was just as dumbfounded as I was, not really able to form a response to Junko's excitement. Her blue eyes simply stared and blinked, while the tan-skinned girl's arms now hung loose. Meanwhile, I was similarly shocked, staring at Junko in the same way.

 

_ She...wants to make anime real? That...explains a lot. This school. These Ultimates. They're not just oddball savants. Some of these people make up the top positions of our society, and they clearly are using their power to influence it. The world of recent years, where hair-dying has become a practice so common that I don't even stand out anymore, that world....She created it  _ _single-handedly_ _ . I...can see why she got admitted to the school. _

 

“Yesh, you two are acting like you just watched hentai for the first time,” Junko said as she rolled her eyes.

 

The blonde then pointed at us and yelled, “So, you just gotta deal with it! Just cause I'm a fashionista doesn't mean I'm some vapid bitch with no life goals. This gals got big ambitions. Two big ambitions!”

 

_ I don't even know what's weirder. The fact that the person who  _ _single handedly_ _ changed the face of Japanese fashion is a lunatic or that she emphasized her breast size to the one person who is bigger in that department than her. Well, there is always the girl who I believe to be Sakura. She...might technically be the biggest. _

 

I was completely flustered, while Aoi had a slight blush to her cheeks, clearly feeling awkward about the whole affair. My eyes desperately fought the urge to stare at the 'assets' around me.

 

_Can you stop thinking about breasts for one minute, Chihiro?!_

 

“None of you gonna say anything? Well shit, this is boring me out. I hate being bored. Fuck it, I'm outta here. Applegirl is fun to tease around, but you're no fun, swimmingtits,” Junko blabbered on before walking off, her high-heel boots pattering on the floor with every step.

 

_She wears boots too? That makes...two boot-wearers? I...wouldn't mind wearing tall boots but with flat heels instead. I don't think I can ever walk comfortably with stilettos on.  
_

 

I winced a little from the thought.

 

_Gah, stop it, Chihiro. You're not a girl. Boys don't wear this kind of stuff, unless they're playing musketeer or cosplaying as a Star Wars character._

 

“Hey, you're okay?” Aoi called out to me before sighing, “Totally can understand why you'd be like this.”

 

“U-uhm...Yes...Yes, I am okay,” I answered her, my eyes looking away from her.

 

_I hope I didn't creep her out._

 

“Don't worry. I won't bother you like her,” she reassured me with a smile.

 

I couldn't help but smile back at her, while my cheeks turn a bit rosy.

 

_My...crush actually is helping me out? She saved me twice, perhaps thrice. Maybe...Maybe there is hope. Maybe she likes guys like me after all._

 

“O-oh okay,” I simply said, fidgeting my fingers awkwardly.

 

“So...I'm Aoi Asahina! Nice to meetcha!” the cheerful swimmer greeted me with a big smile.

 

_She's...a lot more...cute than what my 'research' suggested._

 

My 'secret' became slightly more secret, as I replied, “N-nice to meet you. I u-uhm kind of knew that already.”

 

_Oh crap! I just spilled that I was creeping on her! Fuck! I really am a freak..._

 

“Oh! A fan?! I never had fans before!” Aoi cheered while squirming with excitement, “I mean, I was selected for Japan's Olympic swimming team. Someone here's gotta recognize me. Well, Sakura did before you did. She doesn't watch TV much, but she heard that I was selected for the Olympics. It was really fun talking with her about it.”

 

“Oh, I see,” was all I said, clearly lacking anything substantial to say.

 

_ That's a close call. But...should I really keep this a secret from her? I mean, I feel bad to lie to her about this. I mean, I'm not even interested in athletics, besides making my dad order some exercising equipment when I tried to 'man up' back in  _ _eighth_ _ grade. My mom was  _ _ecstatic_ _ that day when she heard me. It...didn't work out. _

 

“Hmmmm,” Aoi wondered, crossing her arms.

 

_What is she thinking?_

 

“Maybe, I should guess who you are! It'll be fun!”she proposed before offering her first answer, “Maybe....You're....Toko Fukawa! You look really, really bookish!”

 

I shook my head, sighing, “I'm not Toko Fukawa..”

 

Aoi then snapped her fingers, “Now, I remember! You're Chihiro Futaba!”

 

I blinked at her in astonishment.

 

_Does she forget things that easily?_

 

The tanned swimmer frowned at me, “You probably think I'm dumb for getting it wrong so many times...”

 

I shook my head frantically, “N-no! You're perfectly fine! I mean, you fainted, right? It is perfectly possible that some memory loss may occur. I mean, I thought I remembered someone earlier when he introduced himself to me.”

 

_Wow, you made two sentences without stuttering. Good job, Chihiro._

 

Her eyes widened, “Huh?! Memory loss?! I hope that didn't happen! My memory is kinda bad, especially when it comes to names, but I think I remember things just fine.”

 

“Oh. It's just a hypothesis I came up with on the fly. It's...probably not correct,” I explained before holding my head down, sighing.

 

_Why do I keep on jumping to the most extraordinary possibilities for everything? Occam's razor exists for a reason. At this rate, I'm going to be like Yasuhiro and start believing in the supernatural._

 

“Don't beat yourself up. You have nothing to fear but fear itself after all!” Aoi reassured me encouragingly before asking, “But, uhm...what's your surname? I mean, I hope Chihiro is actually your given name.”

 

_Did...she just quote Franklin D. Roosevelt but in Japanese? That...is ironic on so many levels._

 

“Oh, my name is Chihiro Fujisaki. I am the Ultimate Programmer,” I answered.

 

“Oh, now I remember! You were on the list. All I can really find on you is that cute blog of yours though...” Aoi remarked before snapping her fingers, “Yea, now I remember its you. From that picture. But really, I didn't see anything about programming there besides your computer.”

 

_This is what happens when all of your accomplishments are either secret or are collaborations with your dad that corporations slap NDAs all over. You get none of the credit and recognition. People probably are going to be baffled as to why some programmer has nothing to prove his skills. I guess I could have redeemed that here...If I didn't faint and end up in the fucking Twilight Zone!_

 

I sighed, even frowning a bit, before explaining, “I...have nondisclosure agreements. Sorry for not being able to tell you anything.”

 

_Like that's going to convince anyone. As far as the world knows, you're either a cute girl with a pretty blog or a weak, worthless nerd. They don't value your skills or intellect. All they want out of men is either their money or muscle. And, the former just makes you little more than a walking ATM._

 

“Why you're apologizing? I mean, I should've figured that out. It's kinda like having a secret recipe,” Aoi asked.

 

“I mean, I...kind of feel like I have nothing interesting to add to the conversation,” I explained, still holding my head down.

 

“Huh?! I thought that was interesting though. Don't know anything about how programmers and techy stuff work, so it's kinda cool to hear it from you,” she said with a perky smile.

 

“R-really?!” I asked, raising my head back up and perking up in excitement.

 

_Is she really being genuine?_

 

“Yea! But really, you're beating yourself up in nearly every sentence,” Aoi said before a sudden burst of yelling made us both jolt in surprise, turning our heads.

 

“This uniform is not welcome in a school environment!” Kiyotaka shouted at the top of his lungs at Junko.

 

“You just bitched about my yelling a sec ago. Guess seeing my sexy uniform made you throw that rule in the trash?” the fashionista talked back, rolling her eyes.

 

“This is an egregious violation of dress-code, even if we're not wearing Hope's Peak uniforms! Button up your uniform at this instance and change your skirt into something decent, Enoshima-san!” the public morals officer demanded, pointing his finger at the gyaru.

 

“Yesh, so that's why your grandpa only lasted a few months in office,” Junko teased with a sly, malicious grin.

 

_Did...did she really have to bring that up?_

 

The normally orderly public morals officer clenched his fists, trying to contain the apparent rage the girl had stirred in him. Tears began to well up in his eyes. “Don't you DARE bring up such personal matters into this conversation!” he tried to yell, though it ended up sounding more like sobbing than anything else.

 

I frowned at seeing Kiyotaka's distress, clutching my hands onto my chest.

 

_I actually feel really sorry for him now. Seriously, the sobbing...the crying. It all hits really close to home for me._

 

“Ishimaru-san,” Aoi muttered sadly as she had a similar frown to mine.

 

_I guess someone shares my sentiments._

 

“Then don't go around prudin' on people when we don't even know the rules of the school yet,” the blond girl said before giggling and walking off.

 

_I wonder how much havoc she's going to cause by greeting fifteen people. I guess I'm one of the last people she introduced herself to, though._

 

“Oh sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, Fu-,” Aoi apologized before cutting herself off.

 

“Hey, uhm, what's your name again?” she asked me.

 

_She forgot already?!_

 

“I-it's Chihiro Fujisaki,” I answered, my fingertips tapping on my knuckles.

 

“Chihiro...Fujisaki,” she muttered, repeating my name as she moved her finger on her palm, “Chihiro..Fujisaki...Chihiro...Fujisaki...”

 

_Is she...writing my name on her palm? Should I really poke her on this? Maybe, I shouldn't. It's probably just her way of remembering people's names._

 

Suddenly, the athlete declared with a big smile, “There, I did it! Now, I'll never get your name wrong, Fujisaki-san.”

 

“That's a good thing,” I replied, “I guess everyone has their own way of remembering things.”

 

“Yeah, I always write someone's name three times when I meet them for the first time. I mean, a lot of the names are online, but I need to see their faces personally to really let it stick in,” she explained, rubbing her hand on the back of her head.

 

“I see...” was all I said.

 

_ Really, I don't have anything more  _ _substantial_ _ to add to the conversation? _

 

“Anyways, glad to meet ya!” Aoi cheered with an energetic smile, almost bursting with energy.

 

_I feel dead compared to her..._

 

“G-glad to meet you too,” I said before looking at the tall blond boy and the women who I presume to be Sakura.

 

_I d-don't know if I can come up to these two on my own._

 

Before she can skip off, the swimmer's eyes darted away from me momentarily, seemingly deep in contemplation.

 

“Maybe...I should help you introduce yourself to the others? I know it's kinda late to help you out with most of the people here, but maybe I can help you out with Oogami-san and Togami-san,” Aoi offered to me.

 

_T-Togami?! No! It can't be! THAT Togami?! THE_ _Togami_ _Conglomerate_ _?!_

 

It was then I stared at the blond boy, my eyes searching all over him.

 

_He's....He's eerily familiar._

 

From his slender form to his black suit, he definitely exuded an aura of wealth, even having a crossover tie and a pocket watch in his suit's breast pocket.

 

“Oogmai-san isn't as bad as she looks, but Togami-san is bleh! I hate how he talks down to everyone here,” Aoi noted, crossing her arms, “He's the heir to a large corporation or something. The guy just said his name and told me to stay away from him.”

 

_ I hate those  _ _pretentious_ _ playboy types more than anything...Yet, that...that isn't even what's bothering me. _

 

The Togami had blue eyes, skin almost as pale as mine, and seemingly natural blond hair. The only thing that made him look Japanese was his narrow eyes.

 

_His appearance is...odd. Not even in the usual sense. He just looks...kind of foreign. Like me..._

 

I looked at his face again.

 

_That's not it though. Something is familiar about him. Kind of like with Makoto, but even more so. Something is...telling me to do something, but I don't even know what._

 

My eyes blinked as I tried to figure out the source of this odd feeling.

 

_ Did I forget something? I really feel like I'm forgetting something BIG here. I mean, I guess not realizing that the Togami  _ _conglomerate_ _ heir is coming to my school is a huge oversight! _

 

Aoi pouted, “I don't even get what's his problem. How do people even work with him?”

 

Meanwhile, I was starting to shake a little, staring down at the marble floor. My breathing quickened, as I felt my heart pump faster and faster. I can feel butterflies in my stomach, causing me to rest my hand against it. Worst of all, my hands were twitching and shaking, especially my index finger.

 

_Why...Why do I feel like there was something that I have to do? Something is just surreal about this. Why does the mere mention of his name and seeing his face make me feel like this? It has to just be from me fainting earlier. Maybe, someone used chloroform on all of us?_

 

The mere utterance of that word in my head made me shake even more.

 

_Wait, why the fuck am I even thinking about that?! Chloroform?! No! I didn't get drugged! No one followed me! I can remember that at least!_

 

“You're okay?!” the slightly taller girl asked me with concern, her eyes looking at my pale face with worry, “You look really sick all of a sudden!”

 

My body slouched forward ever slightly, before I answered, “I-I'm....I'm okay.”

 

_She's...concerned about my health? I...like it, not being insulted for showing weakness. Yet, doesn't that make me a burden to her? Why would someone tolerate a wimpy burden like me? I guess it's true. As a girl, I'm treated with sympathy. As a guy, if I was 'weak', I was garbage. I was nothing if I wasn't strong..._

 

“You're sure? I mean, maybe you can just...um...pretend that you introduced yourself to him? I think Ishimaru-san is probably too busy to really care,” Aoi suggested to me.

 

_Why didn't I think of that earlier? I could have at least spared myself a lot of stress..._

 

“But...But, wouldn't it be rude to him?” I argued both against her and my inner thoughts.

 

“Naw, Fuji-san. He probably doesn't want you talking to him anyways. Actually, he'd probably like it if you stay away from him. So, you're doing him a favor,” she reassured me, pouting a bit, “His name's Byakuya, by the way.”

 

_Wouldn't that make me the same as him? For not wanting to talk to others? I guess...people are comparing me more to Toko now. I guess that means my disguise is working._

 

“I see...I mean was a bit interested in him, but I'm scared of going up to someone who'd be that hostile to me,” I replied, sighing a little.

 

“Oh, but you should totally meet Oogami-san! She's the best! Super nice despite how she looks!” Aoi said as she bounced a little bit, while my eyes tried to stay away from her chest.

 

_Damn it! I mean, I guess only meeting one of them is better than nothing, but Sakura makes me feel so weird about myself. Like...I'm gay for...for...She's a girl! That means it's perfectly straight to like...her thick arms and...big chest?_

 

_Yes! She probably has a breast-size bigger than Aoi's! I'm definitely straight for liking that. One hundred percent! But...But, that doesn't solve the the immediate problem. I mean...I survived Junko and Aoi being together without my 'secret' revealing itself, so I guess it's okay to meet Sakura with Aoi's help, right?_

 

“I'll meet her,” I said, nodding slightly.

 

“Awesome! Lemme take you to her!” the swimmer said with a strangely cat-like smile.

 

I replied, “Okay...”

 

And with that, I was taken by one of Japan's top athletes to Sakura, passing by Byakuya. His eyes, which had white-framed glasses atop them, glared at me as we walked past him.

 

_I think he noticed me looking at him. Oh crap, I probably came off as hostile and rude to him, and I probably was._

 

Sakura loomed over both Aoi and I, her shadow draping over both of us.

 

_If it weren't for the chainguns in this room, I would be absolutely terrified of her right now._

 

Aoi said, “Hey Oogami-san! This is Chihiro Fujisaki! She's the Ultimate Programmer!”

 

_ I heard much about her. She won over 400 matches and a martial arts  _ _tournament_ _ in America, having a completely flawless record. Some have called her Ogre though...I guess, maybe she doesn't get off scot-free from being 'different'. Still, she seems to have a pretty successful life ahead of her, and people are more  _ _afraid_ _ of her than actively hostile. _

 

I waved awkwardly at the Ultimate Martial Artist, “H-Hi...”

 

_I really hope I never get into her wrong side or have her find out about...'that'. I don't think I'll survive for any longer than one second if I were to incur her-_

 

“Ah, greetings Fujisaki-san,” the martial-artist said with a smile, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

 

_Huh? She...sounds more gentle and formal than I expected. I...really assumed things about her didn't I?_

 

“Oh, forgive me for not providing a proper introduction. I am Sakura Oogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist of Hope's Peak,” Sakura immediately said afterwards.

 

“N-nice to meet you,” I said, having to look up to her to maintain eye contact.

 

_She's so...strong compared to me, yet she is a girl. I am pathetically weak compared to her, yet I am a boy. Her life has been paved with success, yet mine has only been a downward spiral._

 

“So,” Aoi said, “I guess you two have met everyone now!”

 

_All of my work is anonymous. The only reason I got here was due to companies referring to my father and I's work to this school probably. Sakura's...is public. She gets to be the champion, while I'm basically a loser...A wimp..._

 

The swimming pro then gulped on her throat, “I really don't know what's going to happen next. I mean, still really, really confused about everything going on here. I h-hope this is some kind of coincidence.”

 

_ And now, I'm probably in some sort of hostage situation or even worse. With fourteen other Ultimates, including a  _ _notorious_ _ gang leader. And, freaking chain-guns ready to rip us all apart. And, that voice! Everything about this is out of what I'm used to! _

 

I nodded, “Y-yes, I'm r-really scared. I t-think someone might have k-kidnapped us.”

 

Aoi gasped, “R-really?!”

 

“That is a possibility. No, it is definitely likely considering our similar circumstances. Still, I think we need to stay calm and assess the situation,” Sakura noted.

 

_Of course, I wouldn't be used to anything that doesn't involve me sitting in front of a computer screen. Look at Sakura. She's calm and in control. Me? I'm practically helpless._

 

“R-right,” Aoi affirmed half-heartedly.

 

_And, the voice. Mondo. Everything. I c-can't handle this. Sakura probably can land herself with a guy. I know it. Maybe, it was the 'strongest guy in the world'? That guy who looks like the protagonist from Fist of the North Star. His name is even similar. I heard that they are friends._

 

Their conversation slowly dissipated into white noise as my thoughts took over.

 

_Oh, I know what's going on! I know it! They probably are secretly in on each other! Even the fucking 'Ogre' gets laid, while I, the gender inverse version of her, probably am going to live the rest of my life alone at best and a laughing stock at worst. Gah! I can't do this! I can't treat her like this just from my envy. I can't be any more pathetic than I already am._

 

“You're...okay, Fujisaki-san?” Sakura asked, clearly seeing me start to shake.

 

_Why...am I so upset at her? At myself? She did nothing wrong!_

 

“Yeah, you're kinda shaking,” Aoi said.

 

“S-sorry...” I whimpered.

 

“Sorry?” the martial artist asked.

 

_I have to apologize! It's the only way to prove that I'm not bad! That I'm not a jerk!_

 

“I-I'm sorry for...not being able to be calm,” I apologized, my eyes starting to get watery.

 

“That..is nothing to be sorry for,” the much taller woman said, astounded at my apology.

 

_I'm...I'm so weak that I melt and apologize for my thoughts..._

 

My little hands clenched into fists, as I squirmed with anxiety.

 

_I need to get out of here! I need to run away from them! From...from everything!_

 

And, I immediately dashed past Sakura and Aoi. I ran away from the turrets, away from the vault door, and away from all the other Ultimates.

 

_All I have to do is push the double door open, and I'll free myself from this shitshow! I don't care what happens! I just want to be alone!_

 

One of my scrawny arms extended outwards to grab onto one of the door handles, pulling it towards me. The door opened, revealing the dark, green-hued halls that spooked me earlier.

 

_Fuck! Even the halls scare me! Shit! Either them or the halls! What to pick?!_

 

“Hey! What are you doing?!” Kiyotaka yelled in the distance.

 

_Fuck it! I rather deal with the halls!_

 

I sprang forward, immediately dashing out into the mysterious hallway as fast as my little legs can carry me.

 

“No running in the halls!” was the last thing I heard of Kiyotaka before I did just that.

 


	7. Prologue: Wallowing in a Stall

In the shadowy, green halls of Hope's Peak, I turned to my left, away from both the AV Room I woke up in and the entrance hall. I scurried across the checkerboard floor and past a dark pink double door. There were two light pink hearts on the door, and a small sign right next to the doors stated the word 'NURSE'. A crisscross of yellow tape, with the words 'KEEP OUT' repeated, clearly indicated it was closed.

 

At the end of the hallway, the lighting shifted from eerie green to yellow before turning into perfectly normal at the stairwell, which was blocked by steel bars.

 

_Crap! I can't run up the stairs or hide in the nurse's office! Why did they block the-_

 

I gasped, “Wait, d-did a murder happen in there?!”

 

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! They're going to find me at this rate!_

 

I squirmed, as I stopped in fear momentarily.

 

_No! T-the murderer is going to find me! That's what's going on! Someone is murdering us one by one in this school! That's why there's only fifteen of us!_

 

I desperately searched for a place to hide.

 

_Safety in numbers, yet I don't want to deal with them. Fuck! Why do I have to be this weak?! To need to hide among a crowd to survive! Why?!_

 

Suddenly, what was once the sort of place I feared most became my sanctuary.

 

_The bathrooms!_

 

Two blue doors were just ahead of me, one under a whitish light and the other under the yellow lights. The closer one was the boy's bathroom, having a broad-shouldered figure. The one farther away had the figure with the triangle inverted to a dress, looking far more like me than the figure representing the boy's bathroom.

 

_God fucking damn it! Did it really have to come to this? That I have to go to a public bathroom? This is a living nightmare. It couldn't be any worse than this! Still, which bathroom? Which poison should I pick?_

 

_I'm used to the boy's bathroom, but if anyone finds me in there, I'm fucked. The secret will be out! If I go to the girl's bathroom, then any breaking of my voice will spill the secret. Anything that would reveal that I’m a boy. And, that would make everyone think I'm a disgusting pervert._

 

_Damn it, it's the lesser evil. At least, the girl's bathroom offers a decent chance of getting through this shitshow unscathed._

 

I sprinted for the girl's bathroom door, not even looking at my surroundings. As I grabbed the metal handle, my head shifted side to side.

 

_Nothing to my right, and-_

 

_What the hell is that?!_

 

What should have been a window was instead some thick metal plate with bolts all over it. Despite its crude appearance, it seemed to have an airtight seal, as if the object was built into the school.

 

_Does...Does the school actually disguise these as windows on the other side? Wait, is the school in on this? They're working with a murderer? What the fuck is going on?! Well, no time for that! Hide in the bathroom, now!_

 

I opened the door to reveal a bathroom unlike any other I've ever seen in my life. The entire room was ridiculously colorful to an eyesoring degree. Ceramic tiles of green, yellow, and even cyan hues decorated the walls, while the floor had similar tiles that were of various shades of red.

 

_The fuck? We're now having Tetris in the bathroom?!_

 

To my right, there was a whole line of sinks with corresponding mirrors. The plumbing and handles were...

 

_Gold?! The hell?! It...It can't be really gold!_

 

I walked towards the sinks, looking at the row of bathroom stalls to my left. The walls had a lime-green tiger stripe texture to them, while the stall doors had a rosy version of the pattern.

 

_They seem to be fake. I can't really tell. Not an expert on gold..._

 

“S-Still, where...where am I?” I whimpered, “T-this can't be my school. T-this Twilight-Zone hell can’t be it.”

 

I shifted my way towards one of the rose-hued stalls.

 

_I'll pick the third one down. I hope no one is hiding in the stalls._

 

I entered the bathroom stall, slowly closing the door behind me to make as little noise as possible. One of my hands locked it behind me, just in case someone was to enter. I then proceeded to slump down against the wall of my stall, staring aimlessly at the wall in front of me. “I feel safe here,” I said over the low hum of the air conditioner above the stalls. The lighting was perfectly normal in the bathroom. If anything, the room was brightly lit.

 

_There’s no one here. Finally, I feel slightly more relaxed. This more like what I'm used to. A small comfy room where no one will judge or bother me._

 

Yet still, I hugged myself with my scrawny arms, shivering with anxiety. Unlike my room, there was no bed to lie on. No blanket or stuffed animals to snuggle against. No swivel chair and desktop. Just the cold, surreal walls of the very sort of place I dreaded and feared the most.

 

“Why? Why did it have to be now? Why is it the very moment I got out of the hole I dug myself into, everything goes to complete and utter shit?” I asked myself as tears began to well up in my eyes.

 

I looked down at the brown fabric of the disguise I wore. “This is the one thing that stopped them from mocking me, from seeing me as lesser.”

 

I clinched my hands into a fist, while my girly voice gave way to my 'normal' voice, “Yet, look at Sakura, who gets everything I didn't! She gets public acclaim and praise, while I have to hide my true self in the shadows. Everything I did was under a pseudonym or was taken by some greedy corporation. They took my dad and I's work, slapped their trademark and copyright on it, and claimed it as their own.”

 

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I kicked aimlessly with one of my feet out of frustration. “It's not fair!” I yelled, my girly voice breaking, “Why do I have to be born like this?! Short, scrawny, and weak!” I spat the word 'weak' with disgust.

 

“That is the main issue. I'm considered worthless for not being strong and manly, yet Sakura already is making friends despite being open about who she is. She still has worth as a woman despite having gorilla shoulders. Why is being manly a requirement for me and being feminine just an option for her?” I asked myself, knowing full well the answer.

 

I then reared up my head, looking at the toilet paper roll next to the toilet. I sniffled and sobbed as my eyes grew redder and redder with my crying. “And, I know they call her 'Ogre'! I know that! But, at least, she is allowed to exist and live her life out however she wants! Me? My feminine body ruined my worthless life!”

 

“She gets to have to not only have a boyfriend but one with a fucking six-pack and muscle arms. Me? The closest thing I'm ever going to get to a relationship is either a lesbian who runs away screaming when she sees my package or the kind my dad was in,” I ranted.

 

“Why can't I have what she has?!” I shouted, kicking my leg out again.

 

I then let out a long sigh to calm myself down, while my voice raised a couple octaves to return to my 'girl' voice, “I-I can't ramble like this. Not...Not when they're probably going to come looking for me. Not when there could be a m-murderer s-somewhere nearby.”

 

My face was a mess, with streams of tears rolling down my soft cheeks. “I...was meant to die. Wasn't I? Is this the world's way of removing a worthless piece of a trash like me? Is this a form of natural selection? Why do I even fight it?”

 

“I'm, I'm just a freak. A mistake. Only civilization could create a freak like me. Only unnatural circumstances would allow someone like me to exist. In nature, a weakling like me...would have just died off or never reproduced. That's why no one likes me when they knew who I am,” I said as I stared up at the ceiling. “I have to lie just to be accepted. At any moment, if my voice cracks, I'm going to be completely screwed. I will become even more of pariah than I was. That is my destiny, no matter how hard I try to fight it. Either I submit to the role society crafted for me, hide myself away from it, or face persecution...”

 

“I can see it. I can see it in Makoto's face if I told him my secret. A look of complete shock and disgust. He'd probably think I'm joking at first though. They all would. Yasuhiro probably would run off, freaked out about the truth,” I continued to ramble, my tears already starting to dry up.

 

“And if Leon or Mondo find out about my secret, I p-probably would end up in a body bag,” I noted with a shiver, hugging myself. “I-I'm e-especially scared of that. A-and, the less is said about what Hifumi would do to me, t-the better.”

 

“I g-guess Kiyotaka probably would put me on detention for wearing the wrong sort of school uniform,” I joked, laughing awkwardly. “I don't think I'm going to c-calm down with jokes this time. I'm fundamentally fucked. Either I wander through the halls and get murdered or I stick with the group and deal with my anxiety.”

 

“T-Though, maybe that crime scene was just for a robbery or something,” I desperately tried to rationalize before shaking my head, “I'm just trying to make the situation better. N-not like we have an Ultimate Thief running around the place.”

 

“I g-guess this is it. I b-bet the s-school staff is in the nurse's office, a-all butchered up. I'm g-going to die, miserable and crying,” I said, wallowing in my despair.

 

“That or maybe the murderer is going to kill them. T-then, t-then, I'll die slowly of thirst and starvation, rotting in the girl's bathroom,” I thought aloud.

 

“I'm, I'm scared. W-what do I do? I have n-no where to go. I c-can't go anywhere. N-no one is going to help me-”

 

_Aoi..._

 

“She wouldn't. N-Not when she finds out. She'll be disgusted by me like all the rest. Even Sakura would probably look down upon me. It's the double standard I'm going to have deal with the rest of my life.”

 

I shook my head and sighed, “I'm just being dumb. Repeating myself like this. I'm truly a broken record.”

 

My eyes were still red, welling with tears. Meanwhile, my chest ached with sorrow, yet I felt a strange sort of serenity to the whole situation.

 

_I'm accepting it._

 

“I hate my life. Why? Why couldn't I at least live a fulfilling life before I die here? Did I really exist just to feel seventeen years of pain before being finished off slowly in some Twilight-Zone version of an elite high school?” I asked myself. “And, all I did before dying is going to be crying about everything and insulting someone who did nothing wrong to m-”

 

Ding dong! Bing bong!

 

“Huh? I...I d-don't think we have a-any doorbells nearby. T-This just keeps on getting weirder,” I said.

 

An oddly familiar voice I thought would only come from a toy spoke through what seemed to be Hope's Peak's intercom system, breaking the silence of the bathroom. “Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system!” the high-pitched voice said.

 

“T-The fuck?” I muttered.

 

_Why...Why is that voice familiar? And, who is speaking on the intercom? Seriously, that's not the voice of the headmaster, and it's definitely not the voice of a kid._

 

“Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then!” the playful voice asked.

 

“Why even ask when you-” I asked before covering my mouth with my hands.

 

_The school is recording the bathrooms?!_

 

I screamed a muffled curse into my hands, while my reddened eyes nearly popped in shock.

 

_Calm down, calm down. The school knows anyways. They're not going to do anything to you as long as you show off your talent. Think positive. The good news is that at least there is someone- Wait, what if-_

 

“Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at,” the unknown voice announced, interrupting my train of thought.

 

_Students! Entrance ceremony! Good! That means this is NOT some horror movie doll that's going to off us Saw-style. I-I can't handle horror movies, so experiencing one in real-life would be my worst nightmare. Unless-_

 

“Right now!” the voice exclaimed excitedly.

 

_God damn it! Way to gave me no time to think this over! Okay, maybe entrance ceremony could be a euphemism for-_

 

“Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience,” the intercom instructed.

 

_Probably the wrong time to be thinking this, but gyms smell terrible. They also give me bad memories. PE was the worst..._

 

After a pause, it said ominously, “That's all. I'll be waiting!”

 

Then, silence returned with the only sound remaining being the running of the AC on the ceiling above me.


	8. Prologue: Follow the Monochrome Road

_Okay, time to theorize just what the hell is going on._

 

I shifted a little bit and raised myself back up to my two feet. My nostrils grew more and more stuffed as my crying stopped. “I should sneeze out all of that mucus first,” I said to myself before opening the red stall’s door and heading towards the paper towel dispenser beside the bathroom door.

 

_Whoever was on the intercom is probably the person who made us all go unconscious. And, he probably was the one who redecorated the school. And, the voice seems to make him a he. I think. I mean, it could be a girl, especially with how high-pitched the voice is. I, of all people, should know that people can disguise their gender with their voice._

 

I grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser before blowing my nose on them, immediately coating a good portion of them with a thick wad of clear mucus.

 

_So yes, I’ll just refer to it as a he for now. So, he got me into this situation to start with. Is he working for the school? Or, is he the Ultimate Prankster I’ve been theorizing about the whole time?_

 

I proceeded to wipe off the rest of my snot onto the paper towel before throwing it away at the conveniently placed trash bin.

 

_The more important question is: is going to the gym a good idea? Because, he might just be the ‘murderer’._

 

Still feeling heavy on my chest, I turned around and walked up to one of the three sinks, looking at myself in the mirror. My face definitely was a mess. Tear streaks were all over my cheeks, while reddened eyes, clearly worn out by my crying, ached and stared back at me.

 

_I’m glad I didn’t put any make-up on. Otherwise, I’m going to look even more like a mess than I currently am._

 

I twisted the knobs of the sink while testing the temperature of the water. Since it was at an okay temperature on my first try, I then washed my face with the water.

 

_Why am I suddenly so calm? I mean, I’m worried still, but I’m...not terrified. It must be that I know more about what’s going on. I know where the ‘killer’ may str-_

 

Suddenly, there was knocking on the bathroom door.

 

“Fujisaki-san? You’re there?” Aoi’s voice called.

 

“Yeah, you’re okay?” Yasuhiro’s voice added.

 

_And, I know that they’re going to leave the lobby on that cue. But, maybe I should hide myself from them._

 

“You will answer to your misdeed of running in the halls!” the voice of a certain glorified hall monitor yelled.

 

_Definitely going to hide myself!_

 

“Dude, can you just cut the crap about the rules for just one second? I mean, the poor girl’s probably scared shitless by all of your yelling,” Leon said.

 

“Really, I think you’re scaring Fujisaki-san with-” Aoi said.

 

_Maybe, I shouldn’t...They really should be warned about going to the-_

 

“We totally can hear your sink running, Fuji-chan! You can’t hide from us!” Junko declared. I then heard the pitter-patter of her heels approaching me before she gave the bathroom door a kick, making me jump suddenly from the sharp thud.

 

“Woah! Easy on the door!” the clairvoyant panicked.

 

_Oh crap, I forgot that factor!_

 

“Kicking doors is completely against-!” Kiyotaka shouted before cutting himself off.

 

_Yesh, he’s already scared of her. I’m scared of her too._

 

I turned the sink off before saying, “I’m...I-I’m here.”

 

_They need to know._

 

I can barely hear a sigh of relief before Aoi said, “That’s a relief. I thought you disappeared on us or something. Though...” She then complained to Junko, “You really had to kick the door?”

 

“Yeah, totally was fun,” the blonde answered.

 

“You’re going to make her terrified! We’ve already had Fukawa-san panicking twice,” the swimming pro noted.

 

“Yeesh, what she’s gonna think? The fashionista’s gonna murder her in front of a buncha people?” Junko asked.

 

_Please don’t._

 

“N-No! I think?” Aoi answered.

 

I approached the bathroom door before asking, “Did...Did any of you notice the tape at the nurse’s office?”

 

“Oh yeah, totally. I thought a murder happened in there, but Sakura took a look inside and found nothing besides the lights being off,” the swimmer answered.

 

_Oh...That...That makes things less tense._

 

“I can confirm that,” Sakura’s voice added, “I do not know why the room was barricaded by the tape, but it probably has something to do with the person on the intercom.”

 

_I...I think I should go out. They knew where I am, and I’m not going to be safe by myself. I...I can’t keep myself locked in forever. If I don’t do anything, then nothing is going to change._

 

“Okay, I’m...I’m coming out,” I said. I then breathed a sigh of relief before reaching my shaking hand out to grab onto the handle of the bathroom door, shifting my body weight back to pull on it. It creaked before shifting back slowly, revealing the small crowd outside in the halls.

 

Yasuhiro, Sakura, Aoi, Junko, Leon, and Kiyotaka were all standing before me. Aoi, Sakura, and Leon were closest to me, while Junko, Yasuhiro, and Kiyotaka were behind them with the latter staring at me menacingly with his fierce eyes and heavy brows. Meanwhile, I was shaking a bit in front of the crowd.

 

_Really? A big crowd? I...attracted so much attention? I-I can’t avoid it. I can’t avoid the attention._

 

“See? No need to be scared with me around,” Leon said with a grin.

 

_God damn it, Leon. You’re just making me more scared._

 

“Yeah, this is all part of the welcoming ceremony. I think... Heard this school has weird stuff happening all the time,” Yasuhiro reassured me, walking up closer to me.

 

_I mean, true. With the protests over a Yakuza being one of the Ultimates last year to that incident with last year’s Lucky Student, I guess the school does have weird stuff happen to it. I mean, it kind of goes with the oddball student body. Maybe, I should have expected this._

 

“And, that’s why I’m gonna love this place!” Junko declared as she rested her hands on her hips.

 

“Yeah no, I’m not gonna hope for crazy stuff wrecking my mornings,” Leon commented.

 

“Me neither,” Aoi said, “But hey, there’s no murders or stuff like that going on. Dunno why the school would scare us though.”

 

_I should probably poke in._

 

“It...It probably could be a student here?” I said, “I mean, m-maybe the sixteenth student is some Ultimate Prankster?”

 

_Chihiro, you retard! That explanation doesn’t explain how this student managed to redecorate the school in the matter of a couple hours. It’s not humanly possible._

 

Yasuhiro stroked his chin, “That...definitely makes a lot of sense. Yeah, I’m getting it.”

 

Kiyotaka suddenly rebutted, “That is nonsense! The school would immediately discipline such behavior, and why would such a prestigious, government-funded school promote such disruptive behavior?! It would be an outrage!” His complete lack of an indoors only made me back up against the bathroom door.

 

“Ishimaru-san!” Aoi complained, “You’re just scaring her again!”

 

“S-Sorry,” I whimpered while calming down, “I p-probably should have thought about things more thoroughly.”

 

_Why didn’t I think of that sooner? I mean, accepting Yakuza money is one thing, but promoting ‘delinquent’ behavior would be a PR disaster. Guess that’s why the only person believing it is the person who actually thinks that Lemuria actually existed._

 

“Yeah, yeah, we get it. I’m getting bored of this shit. Gonna go to the gym. Even school ceremonies aren’t as boring as this,” Junko shrugged before walking off to my right and turning to her right afterwards.

 

“There she goes,” Leon said before turning to me, “Don’t worry, shy girl. You weren’t being dumb at all. It’s fine to make mistakes.” He then grinned sheepishly, “I think you were super-smart back there, Fuji-chan.”

 

_Damn it, not you too! Is this going to be a nickname for me?_

 

“U-uhm, I...I,” I tried to say, shaking with anxiety.

 

“Kuwata-san! This is not time for chattering!” Kiyotaka yelled, “We should be at the gymnasium as soon as possible!”

 

“Try me, hall-monitor. You wanna cry like how you did when that blond broad brought up your granddaddy?” Leon teased before sticking out his tongue to give the public morals officer a raspberry.

 

_I...really don’t think these two are going to get along. But, we...can’t keep on fighting. We’re going to have to tolerate our differences, at least for now. I’m really scared of being caught up in a fight between the two._

 

“U-uhm, can...can you two s-stop fighting please?” I asked while trembling, “W-We shouldn’t be fighting.”

 

Before Kiyotaka can sob or get into a fit of rage, he took a deep breath and nodded, “Yes, I shouldn’t let personal affairs get in the way of establishing order. Even if certain miscreants demand...discipline.” The public morals officer’s eyes glared at Leon’s with restrained fury.

 

“Yeah whatever. If Fuji-chan doesn’t want me to fight with you, then I won’t, for her,” Leon said, averting his eyes from Kiyotaka’s.

 

_Wow, I can’t believe that actually worked. Even if in a way that’s going to cause me a lot of problems down the line._

 

Both Aoi and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you both for not fighting. I really appreciate it,” I said while fidgeting my fingers.

 

The normally silent and stoic Sakura added, “I would have intervened if your confrontation went physical.”

 

“Eh...I rather not piss off the Og-I mean Oogami-san,” Leon awkwardly chuckled.

 

“Anyways, we should go to the gymnasium, right now!” Kiyotaka announced before marching off like a soldier in the same direction as Junko.

 

“Is this guy for real?” the baseball star groaned before saying, “See ya later, Fuji-chan.” He then followed Kiyotaka to what I presumed to be the way to the gym.

 

_Great, I have admirers. It’s either going to be the gayopcalypse or a bodybag for me…_

 

“Nice job calming these two down, Fujisaki-san,” Aoi said before reassuring me, “If Kuwata-san does anything funny to you, just call in me or Oogami-san, okay? We have you covered.”

 

“I doubt Kuwata-san will do such a thing, but I will be there for you regardless,” Sakura said.

 

I blushed a little, trying to avoid my eyes away from them. “U-uhm, thank you, I guess.”

 

_They...They actually care about me? Wait no. It’s only because of my disguise. If it weren’t for that, they wouldn’t care. Then again, I...probably wouldn’t have Leon chasing after me in the first place.”_

 

“No problem,” Aoi said with a smile.

 

A slight smile formed on Sakura’s usually stony face, “You’re welcome.”

 

Suddenly, Yasuhiro joined in, “Finally, I can join in with my newest little squirt of a friend.” He then ruffled my hair. “I’ll help you out too.”

 

_Somehow, I’m fine with him ruffling my hair. Though, why is he so friendly? Is it really just because my surname matches that of his hometown?_

 

“You’re...kinda invading her space, Hagakure-san,” Aoi said, looking a bit weirded out. She then widened her eyes and gasped, “Wait! Are you two...in love at first sight?!”

 

“W-What?! N-No! W-We’re not romantically involved in any sort of way,” I panicked, frantically waving my little arms.

 

“Huh? Nope, she’s just a friend. I kinda accepted that I’m not exactly a ladies’ man already,” Yasuhiro explained with an awkward laugh.

 

“Hmph, I think you two are just lying,” Aoi pouted.

 

_This morning is going to kill me. I know it. I’m...actually too exhausted to even react to everything. I hope whatever is at the gym is going to be something mundane. I want mundane. A school assembly would be a blessing for me._

 

“I-I’m not,” I said while frowning.

 

“I think you shouldn’t be quick to assume things, Asahina-san,” Sakura said.

 

_I now feel bad for what I said about her earlier..._

 

“Fine,” Aoi pouted.

 

We all then walked together towards the stairwell, letting the yellow light drape over us. Like Junko and everyone else who left, we turned around to see a brown double door with the word ‘Gym’ clearly printed atop it. Unlike the other double doors, this one was asymmetrical. One door had no handle or any other means to open it, while the door to the right had a lever handle and a keyhole above it.

 

_Well, this is it. Either all the confusion gets resolved or...or...we’re all going to die in one spot._

 

I started to shake again with fear, my legs growing weaker. And yet still, my stomach felt empty, while my mouth was completely parched. Fatigue from the strange events and dealing with the antics of fourteen Ultimates began to set in.

 

“You’re okay? Kind of looking like you got the flu,” Yasuhiro asked while Aoi was about to open the door.

 

“U-uhm, I-I’m...I-I’m okay,” I answered, “Just u-uhm kind of hungry.”

 

“You don’t look like you eat alot. Guess you skipped breakfast,” Aoi commented before rubbing her own growling belly, “I’d kill to have a some donuts.”

 

_I like jelly doughnuts. Also, she got it right?! I mean, I thought Yasuhiro was the clairvoyant here, not her._

 

“Yes, actually. You guessed it right,” I said.

 

“I recommend that you skip on eating sugary snacks for breakfast if you want optimal performance,” the massive, muscular woman noted. “Though, it doesn’t hurt to enjoy a treat every now and then, even if I personally would rather partake in a protein shake,” Sakura said with a wink to her new friend.

 

_Geez, she actually enjoys drinking that stuff? No wonder why she’s roided. I used to try drinking that stuff back in middle school to bulk up. I...didn’t really enjoy it. It has that bulky, thick taste to it. Honestly, I didn’t really enjoy any of my attempts to exercise. Not that I really got results from them._

 

“I m-mean, I don’t exactly want to bulk up either,” Aoi admitted while my eyes were locked firmly towards her, “Kind of heavy already.”

 

_Wait, no! Don’t get scrawnier! You’re too small if any-What am I thinking? Chihiro, you’ve acknowledged this a thousand times already. You’re not getting laid, ever. Don’t get your hopes up just because Aoi is being protective over her new ‘friend’. She thinks you’re just another shy girl, period! Sure, she might be one of the only three girls who you’re attracted to and have seen in real-life, but that doesn’t mean that you should build your hopes u-_

 

“Uhm...Fuji? You’ve been staring at a 45 degree angle towards the ground for a good bit,” Yasuhiro suddenly interrupted me.

 

“H-huh?!” I shook my head a bit before looking around my surroundings. Aoi and Sakura were no where to be seen.

 

“You were looking at Hina...then you just spaced out,” the clairvoyant noted while stroking his chin, “Something about her got your interest?”

 

“Hina?” I asked before realizing quickly what he meant, “Oooh….”

 

_Wait! I was staring at her tits for a full minute?! Crap! That means he knows!_

 

“Honestly, it looked like you were staring at her tits,” he said before laughing a little.

 

_Wait, this guy is completely comfortable talking about breasts with a random high-school girl he just met?_

 

“I w-wasn’t, I mean it!” I desperately tried to explain.

 

Yasuhiro then stroked his chin some more. “Hmmm...I wonder what this all means. Maybe, it was just a coincidence? Or, you’re into girls? Or, you’re feeling jealous? My mom complained about a friend she had who was completely jealous of her for that reason.”

 

_W-What?! His mom...also has big tits?! Were the staff of Hope’s Peak scouting for the biggest bust-sizes in all of Japan or something?_

 

“Ehh…I think I might’ve said too much,” Yasuhiro said while scratching his head, “I mean, I was going to reassure you by saying you’re cute or something, but I now feel like a complete creep now.” He then sighed, “Kind of forgot that I was a twenty year old man talking to a teenage girl. Honestly, you feel like ‘one of the bros’ to me for some reason. I can’t really figure why though. Thought it’d be Hina but nah you’re the chick who I’m broing it up with.”

 

_FUUUUUUUU_

 

I gulped on my throat as I started to shake, “U-uhm, i-it’s no problem. Y-you’re fine. I g-get it. A-and no, I’m n-not jealous or anything. A-Again, it was just an accident.”

 

_Thank goodness I’m too terrified of my situation to get boners right now._

 

“I guess so. My predictions are only thirty three percent accurate after all,” Yasuhiro noted before walking past me and opening the door. “See ya at the gym,” he said before entering the next room.

 

“S-See you there,” I said quietly.

 

_I...really hope he isn’t actually psychic and is detecting my ‘boyishness’. The implications of that are… scary, and the existence of psychic powers would explain so many things here. Like the voice I heard…_

 

I shook my head, returning my focus to the world around me.

 

_No, I can’t keep on pondering about things in my mind. I need to be a man of action, not someone with his head in the clouds. W-Well, on the inside at least. For the man part. I just need to just stop pausing and just get this morning done with already!_

 

With a sudden burst of energy, I opened the door and pulled it towards me, revealing the room inside. To my surprise, it wasn’t the gym. Instead, it was some sort of transitional room. Besides the slightly odd maroon wallpaper, it was the most normal room in the school that wasn’t the AV room I woke up in. Red banners containing the school’s emblem hung above me, while each corner of the room had trophies.

 

_They’re probably for athletic accomplishments. Even if schools for the gifted, the athletes get all the glory, while the nerdy and weak lurk in the shadows…_

 

Adding insult to injury, there was a whole case of trophies of varying shapes, sizes, and colors. Beneath them were some artifacts, including a Buddha statue, a samurai helmet, and a katana. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the latter.

 

_It’s kind of weird saying this as someone who’s lived in the country for his entire life, but I always think of a fat kid slicing cartons of water to look cool whenever I see a katana. Wait, I think the school already has an ultimate...swordswomen. Yes, the actual katana expert of our school is a woman. I really hope it doesn’t attract these internet katana wielders to the sch- Wait, what am I thinking? The school has gone crazy already. And, I’m being a bit too harsh to them. I mean, maybe some of them are just doing it ironically to get a laugh out of some people. Poe’s law and all._

 

The room also had an obligatory security camera, and some sort of screen was attached to the wall above the similarly brown double doors which probably led to the gym itself. Yet, the thing, or person, who stood out the most was Celestia Ludenberg, who was staring at one of the two flags on the wall. The index finger with the metal guard on it was tapping on her chin.

 

The design of the flag itself was of a buff Nordic cross with two lions on the top side. This was all, in turn, on a crimson background. Four blue diamonds were arranged in a cross formation on the center with a red diamond on the center. The flag was actually of a pentagonal shape as opposed to a rectangular shape.

 

_What is she doing here?_

 

I then approached the Ultimate Gambler, raising my shaking hand slightly, before asking, “U-uhm...What...What are you doing here?”

 

The pale gothic lolita simply gave me a smile before answering in English, “Just admiring the heraldry and vexillography here.”

 

_Vexillography? I mean, I know about vexillology, the study of flags._

 

“V-Vexillography?” I asked in English as well, “What do you mean with that?”

 

“Oh, you don’t know? It just means the art of flag-designing,” she explained.

 

_Wait, isn’t that...quoted verbatim from the- Wow, I forgot. That definition is lifted from the Wikipedia article I read about vexillology. So, that’s what vexillography means. Is she trying to sound smart by quoting everything she reads on Wikipedia?_

 

“I’m honestly fascinated that a Japanese high school would have such a...European banner. Then again, I guess it is only fitting that a proper lady like me would go to a school like this,” Celestia said before sighing, “At least, that was before the school clearly failed to meet my expectations. A complete lack of staff members to attend to student needs, the architectural tastes of a philistine pretending to be avant garde, the inclusion of such useless professions as clairvoyants and pop idols for Ultimates, the children’s scriblings, and the ridiculous voice on the intercom. This school should have been closed permanently decades ago.” She huffed before frowning, “To think that the princess of Novoselvic, a lady who I admire, would willing subject herself to such a terrible, cruel, and loathsome institution is an insult to her title.”

 

_That’s...a really bloated way of saying the school sucks. I mean, I agree, but I think your priorities are really in the wrong place. I’m more concerned about what is going on and my safety than the quality of the school’s services._

 

Instead, I just said, “I see...I mean, y-you’re not scared of something dangerous happening?”

 

“Would I not be the Ultimate Gambler if I wasn’t willing to take risks? It is in the nature of my talent to take risks. I faced various dangerous situations in my travels as a gambler, and this is merely just another of my long line of adventures,” Celestia declared.

 

“I-I see. That...sounds really impressive, I guess,” I commented.

 

_She’s being really haughty, but it is true that she seemed to have a lot of exploits. I read all about them online._

 

“Shouldn’t we be at the gym now?” I asked.

 

“Should you not be concerned that some person who clearly sounds like a mascot character is congregating us into one place?” she retorted.

 

_She’s thinking what I was thinking earlier. Maybe, going inside is not a good idea. But, everyone else seems to think it is._

 

“I-I...I actually was,” I admitted.

 

“Oh? You had the same concerns?” Celestia asked, finally turning around to look at me at the eyes. She had to bend herself a little to match my eye-level, while her hands were on her knees. “You have more foresight than I initially thought. Though, staying here does give us the disadvantage of being ignorant of our situation.”

 

“That is actually true,” I said, fidgeting my fingers with each other.

 

“And, a certain public morals officer is poised to enforce the proclamations of anyone who speaks on an intercom. How tragic of him, trying so desperately to enforce the order that clearly has been completely eliminated. His inability to adapt to the new situation shall be his downfall,” Celestia added before turning around to face the door, her frilly dress twirling. “In the mean time, I rather not deal with his stubborn attempts to enforce something that no longer exists. They’re...rather distracting to my pursuits.”

 

“Uhm...Maybe, you can stay in the back of the gym? I-It should be pretty big and staying near the door would be a good idea, right?” I suggested as she walked over towards to the doors to the gym.

 

“That sounds like a splendid idea,” Celestia said as she opened the door and entered the gym beyond. It definitely was the gym from the brief glance I had of it, and most of the students didn’t really follow the idea of staying in the back.

 

_Well, I guess that’s going to be the plan._

 

I followed her, doing the exact same thing.

 

The gym was just like any other school gym at first glance. A wide, expansive room with a wooden floor and stands on both sides. However, the walls consisted of large tiles had a color similar to skin. It also seemed like the gym was converted to a theater of a sort, with small seats plopped in rows at the center and a stage displaying the school’s emblem proudly. The red banner with the emblem was surrounded by crimson curtains. A similarly hued carpet led to the seats as well as resting underneath them.

 

_At least, this looks like an entrance ceremony..._

 

The only student actually sitting on a seat was Kiyotaka, who was waiting patiently for our welcoming ceremony to start. Most of the other students were standing at the center of the gym, right behind the seats. However, Byakuya and Celestia were sitting to the side of the doors, flanking me on both sides.

 

_Well, I guess I’ll follow their plan._

 

I gulped on my throat.

 

_I don’t know what’s worse: Having to pick between two people who I feel really uncomfortable around or the fact that something might just kill us all very soon. I mean, Celestia is kind of creepy with how she seems to take great interest in me, but Byakuya...I don’t know why, but he just makes me feel like I’m forgetting something. That and what Aoi told me about him. Though, perhaps I’m judging him too fast?_

 

I frowned slightly.

 

_Actually, I am. I didn’t even introduce myself to him. I feel really bad, not introducing myself to him. Well, I guess I should do that then._

 

I scooched my way to the side of the doors, standing somewhat close to the Togami. His eyes moved towards me, practically looking down at me due to his height. “I have to congratulate you,” Byakuya said, “You actually didn’t waste my time unlike the rest of the inferiors here.”

 

_Oh god, he’s as bad as what Aoi said about him._

 

“I-” I tried to say before he interrupted me.

 

“Don’t ruin it,” he demanded, crossing his arms and sighing, “I already know your name, and you know mine. That is it.”

 

I simply turned my head to face forwards, looking at our supposed ‘entrance ceremony’.

 

_It seemed perfectly normal. Too normal…_

 

“Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here?” the voice from the intercom asked.

 

I froze in place with fear.

 

_That voice! I hope nothing bad happens._

 

“Hmmmm, it seems like we’re missing one student. Well, that’s a huge bummer,” the voice announced.

 

“H-Huh?!” I gasped, clutching my hands to my chest. The rest of the room seemed to be similarly shocked except for Byakuya, who simply waited with his arms crossed.

 

“I guess our long-awaited entrance ceremony is going to have to be delayed until,” it tried to announced, while footsteps could be heard from the distance. They were actually kind of heavy and load. There was also the sound of someone...munching on something? The voice’s announcement was then interrupted by the opening of the double doors to my side. “Now!” the detached voice said, finishing its sentence.


End file.
